


Beneath the Starlight [DISCONTINUED]

by rev_eeriee



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, F/M, Family Issues, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Loss of loved ones, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Multi, Psychological Trauma, Rare Pairings, Slow Burn, Some smut too I guess, Super Rare Pairings I swear, alcohol consumption, i warned you
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-03-15 20:04:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13620711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rev_eeriee/pseuds/rev_eeriee
Summary: “Wanna play a game Momo-chan? I’m soooo bored. If you win, I’ll tell you my name!”“Hah, why would I have to deal with what you want---“The bartender placed a finger on the side of Kaito's lips, stopping the astronaut-to-be in his tracks, as he felt heat creep up his neck. The guy licked his lips and then bit it as if he was enjoying a personal joke. He tilted his head and smiled innocently. “Chicken?”“I’m not a coward.” He practically growled, but his pulse was pounding in his ears, and it wasn’t because he was scared. No, it sure hell wasn’t. He frowned a little as he licked his lips as a question that’s been nagging on his mind suddenly slipped past his lips.“Are you hitting on me?”---AKA. College/Modern AU. Momota Kaito meets a mysterious bartender in the middle of his friend's birthday party. Ouma Kokichi knew he made a mistake, but he didn't really regret it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to post this self-indulgent story that I started on the stress of Oumota still not making up in "From Beyond the Grave", my other ongoing fic. This was actually just an excuse for me to write Oumota smut (I'm dying for it lol), but as the story started unfolding in my head I realized this story might become a little heavy, because god knows I can't write shit without making it angsty somehow. Just a warning. Right now, I'm just winging it. 
> 
> I'll edit the tags as I go, and put warnings in the notes. Enjoy!

It was the alcohol’s fault.

Kaito was not the type to get himself wasted. The hangover in the morning after was usually not worth it, but tonight was an exception. He was in a celebratory mood, especially since he just aced an exam on a subject taught by one of the strictest motherfucking professors he had the pleasure (or displeasure) of meeting. He had been stressing over it for weeks on end, and now that he was finally free of that heavy burden, he deserved to indulge in a bit of fun, dammit!

Which was why when one of his college friends, Amami Rantarou, invited him to their family mansion for his birthday party; he immediately said he’ll go. Hell yeah, one night with no physics problems and calculus equations in sight! Sure, he was absolutely infatuated with his field of study, as an aspiring astronaut, but sometimes you just gotta chill out and let your brain rest for a little while.

Rantarou’s party was lively. A lot of people attended, which wasn’t surprising since the guy was pretty fucking popular. There were even foreigners that dropped by, probably the friends he made from his misadventures all over the world, since he was a traveler at heart. He saw the green-haired lad greet a young woman with sparkling blue eyes and hair like fields of wheat one time. From what he’d gathered, she was a princess from some obscure European country? All Kaito could remember was that she had a funny sounding last name.

The food was great too. The tables were packed to the brim with more food than Kaito could imagine. It was easy to forget that Rantarou was loaded in the money department, since the guy was always so friendly to everyone. In fact, he even looked embarrassed by how grand his party was, laughing nervously whenever someone mentions it.

“A sibling of mine planned this, actually.” Rantarou replied, when Kaito asked about it. “My sisters couldn’t come because they’re still underage, so they went to a sleepover with some friends. They all insisted I needed to enjoy myself without them for now.”

 _Underage, huh._ Rantarou, ever the responsible older brother. He was the type who’d rather jump off a cliff than let his sisters touch one drop of alcohol before they’ve turned eighteen. Well, not that Kaito really cared. He had never met his sisters before. He was content to nod and laugh at the birthday boy’s tales about his sisters, as he downed one shot after another. Did he mention that this party has its own bar? And he could ask for anything he wanted, for free! It’s awesome! It was no wonder that it was so easy to get drunk. He was already feeling lightheaded, a little more than tipsy, but since he wasn’t the designated driver tonight he was sure it would be fine.

He wished Shuuichi was here, but the aspiring detective had politely declined, probably eager to look into some new case his uncle was working on. Maki had to be around here somewhere, but she disappeared with Kaede soon after the party started, and with how big this venue was, Kaito wasn’t too eager to look for her. As Rantarou went to greet more visitors, Kaito was left on the bar, toying with his shot glass. The bartender changed shifts, the new one giving the other a high five before taking his post.

For a moment, Kaito did a double take. The guy looked young, with his short stature and youthful features, but if he was part of the staff Kaito supposed he was just older than he looked. His dark hair was pulled up in a small ponytail, the purple highlights catching light, as he straightened his uniform (his vest was checkered instead of pure black, which was quite an odd detail) and gave the guests a wide, mischievous grin.

 _Cute,_ Kaito’s liquor addled mind told him, and he had to agree. He was  _really_ good-looking, almost pretty. His pale skin contrasted with the dim lighting, giving him a certain glow, but his flushed cheeks and slightly unfocused gaze made Kaito wonder if he’d had a few drinks of his own. Was that even allowed?

To Kaito’s right, a gorgeous lady wearing a dress that showed too much cleavage cackled as she hooted. “Finally, here comes the shitty shota, I’ve been looking all over for you, Cuckichi!”

The guy rolled his eyes, but he had a smile on his lips as he started working. Soon enough a glass of margarita was already sliding towards her. “Shut up and drink, you whore. Try to down a couple and maybe your ass would finally get laid. You reek of sexual frustration.”

“Ah~!” the lady gasped and practically moaned, proving his point. Kaito almost choked on his drink. That was such a crass and weird conversation he just overheard, but he simply gulped down his shot and let out a small chuckle. The lady eventually composed herself as she let out a string of curses at the bartender, who simply smiled innocently back at her. Finally, she drank her margarita in one gulp and walked off, yelling “Where the fuck is that big dick Gonta?”

She didn’t seem to be too drunk yet, if she could walk that straight with her five inch heels. Kaito wasn’t too keen on the idea that  _that_ was her when she’s sober.

“Oh, don’t mind Miu-chan. She’s always been a potty mouth.”

Kaito whipped his head back and yelped when he saw two lilac eyes right in front of his face, too close for comfort. There was a playful, mischievous glint in those eyes. As Kaito leaned back to get some personal space, the bartender giggled. It was a weird giggle that vaguely reminded him of the sound of a horse. 

“Nishishi. I haven’t seen  _you_ around before. What’s your name, stranger?” he asked as he started to make some more drinks, expertly tossing the shakers and bottles around as if he was doing some kind of show, which he probably was. There were only about two guests sitting in the bar save for Kaito, and both of them looked quite entranced. Well, even Kaito had to admit the guy got some pretty mad skill.

“Momota Kaito, Luminary of the Stars!” he easily replied as he grinned proudly. It was a small nickname he’d made for himself a while back. Maki said it was corny, but hey, he’ll be a really cool astronaut someday! He’ll make awesome discoveries about the universe for sure! That nickname was just the first step to his incoming worldwide fame.

“Eh, sounds pretty lame,” the bartender replied unimpressed, as he slid a glass over to another girl on Kaito’s left with a flirtatious wink. The girl blushed and took her glass with a shy smile.

Kaito rolled his eyes.  _What a fucking charmer._ Perhaps it was the alcohol making him a little bit moodier. “It’s not lame!” he said indignantly as he pressed his fists together. “You’ll see! One day, my name will be all over the news—”

“Blah, blah, blah, blah. I get it. You’re a dreamer.” The guy wrinkled his nose. “Well, not that there’s anything wrong with that, just try not to be too lame about it. I’m going to die from second hand embarrassment.”

The background song started to get a little more upbeat. The crowd cheered as people hurried over to the dance floor. Soon enough, Kaito was the only one left at the bar, along with the tactless bartender, who looked amused as he started polishing some glasses with ease. As if he didn’t just insult Kaito and his grandiose aspirations, he was humming happily under his breath, but it was barely heard over the sound of the speakers.

Kaito placed his arm on the bar and leaned over. “I  _said_ it’s not lame! Who are you anyway? I’ve never seen you before either—”

The bartender cackled. “That’s a lie! I  _do_  know you, duh. I see you around your university, mister Luminary of the Stars. Weren’t you that one guy who already got a slot in astronaut training before you even get your degree? I heard stories all about it.”

Kaito frowned. If he does know him, what was the point of even lying? “Whatever. I was asking your name.”  

His lilac eyes twinkled. “Do you wanna know?”

“Well, no shit. It’s why I’m asking, moron.”

The bartender pouted as tears gathered in his eyes. “How mean, Momo-chan. Calling me a moron when we just met—”

“Momo-chan?!”

The tears were gone as quickly as it came. The guy set down another shot glass in front of him and poured some alcohol in it. From what Kaito could gather, it was probably vodka. “Why do you ask, Momo-chan? Are you  _that_ curious about me?”

Kaito frowned as he drank his shot, while the bartender unceremoniously gulped down the alchohol straight from the bottle he was holding. His pale cheeks flushed even more as the burn of the vodka ran down his throat. “Wooo!” he yelled, grinning.

Kaito frowned. “Are you drunk?”

“Who knows~?”

“Should you be drinking on the job?”

The bartender blinked, as if he hadn’t considered that, and then a sly smile passed on his lips. “Well! These drinks are free anyway! But if my boss found out, I’d be in trouble! Are you going to rat me out, Momo-chan?”

“Hell yeah, I would—”

“Nishishi! Too bad! You can’t rat me out to my boss, since  _I’m_ the boss tonight!” he giggled as he hauled himself up and sat on top of the bar. In this position, he was taller than Kaito, and the astronaut-to-be found himself craning his neck just to look at his face. Their faces were close, and he smelled like vodka, making Kaito feel dizzy with the alcohol in his system.

The bartender (was he really just a bartender? He just said he was the boss or whatnot, something Kaito didn’t quite get) grinned as he tugged at Kaito’s chin, a sly sparkle in his eyes as he breathed on his face. The proximity made his head spin. His eyes widened as he leaned back and almost stumbled out of his seat from his compromised sense of balance. Maybe he had been drinking too much— nah.

“That’s just rude,” Kaito growled. But the bartender didn’t seem fazed by it. He simply shrugged.

“Wanna play a game Momo-chan? I’m soooo bored. If you win, I’ll tell you my name!”

“Hah, why would I have to deal with what you want—”

The bartender placed a finger on the side of Kaito’s lips, stopping the astronaut-to-be in his tracks, as he felt heat creep up his neck. The guy licked his lips and then bit it as if he was enjoying a personal joke. He tilted his head and smiled innocently. “Chicken?”

“I’m not a coward,” he practically growled, but his pulse was pounding in his ears, and it wasn’t because he was scared. No, it sure hell wasn’t. He frowned a little as he licked his lips, a question that’s been nagging on his mind suddenly slipping past his lips.

“Are you hitting on me?”

As soon as he said it, he bit his tongue, feeling the heat on his neck creep up his ears. He was blushing, he knew. But he didn’t let his gaze falter one bit. He wasn’t sure what exactly the bartender was doing, but whatever it was, it was making him reconsider his sexuality. Well, not that he had anything against men liking men. He used to be a little bit of a jerk about it back in highschool, that is, until he found out that he had been unknowingly hurting Shuuichi’s feelings without meaning to. Since then, he worked hard to change his ways.

The bartender raised an eyebrow, amused. “Me? Hitting on you? How self-important of you! As if someone like me would ever find you cute.” He leaned in and whispered in his ear, “But that’s a lie.”

Kaito tried to figure out what he just said through the haze of the liquor, to no avail. He just got confused as fuck. “What?”

Suddenly, his lilac eyes sparkled as he jumped on the other side with the bottle still clutched on his hands. He took another swig, his face flushing further as he gulped. Some of the liquor escaped his lips and dripped down his chin, and Kaito’s eyes followed it until it disappeared on the base of his throat. The bartender stumbled a bit and giggled as he placed the bottle down on the bar, pulling on Kaito’s hands. “Momo-chan, let’s dance!”

The next thing Kaito knew he was being pulled on the dance floor by the grinning daredevil. He has never danced with someone before, at least not in this kind of setting. But the guy was a natural as he placed his arm over his shoulders, looking up at him with that innocent yet mischievous smile. Kaito found himself snaking his arm around the guy’s hips and pulling him closer as they went along with the sea of bodies dancing to the beat.

It was the most fun Kaito had in forever and it was strange since he was spending it with a complete stranger. The bartender was a bit of a chatterbox, and he was as troublesome and annoying as he was intriguing and mesmerizing. Finally, Kaito muttered, “Tell me your game.”

The guy looked up at him with unfocused eyes. “Hm?”

“Your game. If I win, you’ll tell me your name, right?”

He grinned as he suddenly stopped dancing and tiptoed close to him, locking his fingers behind his neck. “Oh yeah, I did say that, didn’t I?” he said thoughtfully. His words were a bit of a slur now, it was obvious that he was drunk. “Huh. I think I had a game in mind, but I forgot it already. You know what, maybe I don’t wanna tell you my name after all.” He pouted childishly, but then his pout turned into a delighted gasp. “But if you’ll do me a favor, maybe I’ll think about it.”

Kaito cocked an eyebrow. “A favor? You’re kidding, right?’

“Nu-uh! I’m totally serious. See that guy over there?” he said as he pointed over to the side, where one of the guests were sitting elegantly, well away from the others. His long black hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and for some reason he had an eerie mask that covered his mouth and neck. “That’s Kiyo-chan.  _Hic!”_ The guy covered his mouth from the sudden hiccup and then started giggling uncontrollably.

“Oh yeah? What about him?”

“Kiyo-chan told me that…  _hic!_ I needed love in my life, see. He’s a  _real_ fan of that bullshit. Told me he’ll give me a good sum of money if I just try to a girl, or a  _guy_ , in this party that I’m interested in.” He leaned in and whispered, “I want that dough.”

Kaito couldn’t help but feel a little amused with the little guy’s antics. “So  _that’s_ why you started hitting on me?”

“Nishishi! Who knows? Maybe~! Or maybe, I just found Momo-chan irresistible!”

Kaito was grinning now. “So what do you want me to do?”

The guy’s eyes widened as he grinned and pulled out his phone. “Kiss me on the cheek or something, then I’ll have photo evidence that I tried! I’m just…  _hic!_ Really into the money though, I’m broke as hell and I want to buy more Panta.”

“Give me half of that money and we have a deal.”

He put his phone close to his chest as he raised an amused eyebrow. “Are you asking me out on a  _date_ , Momo-chan? I mean…  _hic!_  I’ll most likely get the money sometime this week, then that means we’ll meet again…  _hic!_ ” Now he looked annoyed. “Goddammit, this—  _hic!—_ cursed hiccup!”

Kaito stifled a smile. The frustrated expression he’s got was freaking adorable. Shaking his head a bit in amusement, Kaito downed two more shots from a passing server (the elegant looking lady gave him a look of disapproval through the ash blonde hair covering her right eye, but she spared one glance at the bartender and pursed her lips before walking away), and as he felt his head get cloudier with the buzz of liquor, he cracked his knuckles and grinned. “Okay, let’s do this.”

The bartender blinked suddenly, as if he wasn’t expecting his sudden enthusiasm.

“Come on! Before I change my mind.”

The bartender hesitated for the first time that night, but he did open the camera app from his phone and held his cheek up for Kaito. Kaito steeled his nerves and kissed his cheek. The guy made a small subtle gasp, the flush on his cheeks darkening, as the bartender’s eyes met his. This close, Kaito could see the flecks of darker purple in his lilac irises.

 _SNAP!_ The flash of the camera startled them both a little bit, as the bartender checked the picture with a look of wonder. Before he could react, Kaito took his phone and programmed his number into it, before placing it back in his hands. When the guy looked up at him, surprised, Kaito grinned. “Call me. I demand a fifty-fifty cut for my services,” he said as he snaked his arms on his waist again and pulled him closer. He didn’t know what possessed him to kiss him again on the side of his lips.

The bartender let out a small, cute whimper as his tongue slipped out to wet his lips. Kaito eyed it, moist and pink and so fucking  _tempting_ , he was panting a little bit before he realized it. He looked back in his eyes once again, and felt a heat burn through his body at the look his companion was giving him.

“Ouma Kokichi.” The bartender murmured, as his hand made it way to Kaito’s collar, pulling him closer. His gaze became more unfocused as their breaths mingled, lips inches apart.

Kaito found himself grinning. “Since you call me Momo-chan, I bet you won’t mind me calling you Kichi.”

His eyes sparkled playfully. “Fuck you, Momo-chan.”

“Gladly.”

It felt like something snapped between them, and suddenly Kaito’s lips were pressed onto his, passion sparking to life in an instant. It was hard to tell who kissed who first, but Kaito couldn’t care less as Kokichi clung desperately to his shirt, tiptoeing eagerly to press his lips harder against his. Kaito gasped, and it was then that he felt Kokichi slip his tongue inside, exploring the crevices of his mouth—  _fuck._ Kaito groaned as he felt a wave of heat settle in his groin. Kokichi was a wonderful kisser, so much so that it made his head spin with desire. Somehow they managed to make it work despite the huge height difference, but soon enough it started to tick Kaito off. Without warning, he lifted Kokichi and pushed him against the nearest wall, just so they were finally face to face with each other. As if on cue Kokichi locked his ankles around his waist, grinding their groins together in such a way that dragged out a long drawled out moan from Kaito.  _God, that thing he does with his hips should be fucking illegal._

Kaito was panting when he pulled back to breathe. It was no secret that he was hard. Kokichi seemed to be enjoying this very fact as he bit his lip teasingly. The heat between them was liquid lust and it seeped through Kaito’s bones, making him growl as he buried his face in the guy’s neck, kissing and licking and nipping like his life depended on it. The soft gasps that Kokichi let out were music to Kaito’s ears, as he felt him run his fingers through his hair, encouraging him to go further. More, more, more— he bit on the soft skin of Kokichi’s throat and the latter cried out, but it wasn’t in pain if the twitch of the hardness in his pants was anything to go by.

“Momo-chan…” he whispered breathily as Kaito licked on the spot he just bit, making his body shiver. “Upstairs… Room…”

Kaito understood. Somehow through the haze of the liquor and lust, they were able to pry themselves away from each other long enough to find an empty bedroom, stealing touches and glances and kisses along the way. For some reason, Kokichi seemed to be quite familiar with the layout of the mansion, and once he had found a place he deemed suitable for their tryst, he closed the door and locked it, before pushing Kaito down onto the impressive queen-sized bed.

Kaito didn’t have enough time or awareness to scan his surroundings. All he understood was that they’re two horny young adults having a good time with their youth and that was all that mattered. Kokichi looked incredible in the dim light of the bedside lamp, the mellow light accentuating his features. When Kokichi started to take off his checkered vest and unbutton his dress shirt, it dawned to Kaito that this is  _it_ , this is real, and this was happening. He flushed as he bit his lip. “I-I’ve… actually never done this with a guy before.”

Kokichi blinked innocently, before making a dazed yet still sly smile. “Then I’ll make sure you enjoy yourself.” He straddled Kaito by the waist as he kissed his neck, licked up his earlobe, taking it in his mouth and suckling gently, making Kaito shiver. Kokichi slipped a hand inside his shirt, riding it up, as he then pressed small feathery kisses down his chest. Kaito closed his eyes shut. “Fuck…” he whispered brokenly.

“Feels good, Momo-chan?” Kokichi teased as he ran a finger above the waistband of his pants. Kaito hissed as his hips thrusted up almost involuntarily, a whimper escaping from his mouth. Kokichi giggled as he undid the button, humming under his breath as he slid the zipper… down.

At this point Kaito knew what he was doing. He groaned in frustration. “Stop— teasing me, you fucker.”

Kokichi giggled as he leaned over and whispered in his ear. “Never.”

Kaito had enough. He snapped, taking ahold of both Kokichi’s wrists as he turned them over and pinned him to the bed, scowling at him. The smaller man didn’t seem to mind one bit, in fact he was laughing without a care in the world, at least until Kaito shut him up with a passionate kiss. Muffled laughter was turned into muffled moans as clothes were unbuttoned and lifted up and removed, tossed somewhere onto the pool of darkness on the floor.

The rest was mostly a blur of pants and groans and whimpers and begging. Begging, yes, because somewhere along the line Kokichi had started to beg Kaito to just fuck him already, something the astronaut-to-be is more than willing to comply. Kokichi prepared himself using a bottle of lube he’d just pulled out of the bedside drawer (why is that thing here and how did Kokichi know it’s there was a mystery Kaito’s lust addled mind did not bother to try solving), and it was a very intimate experience to watch him spread the lube inside himself, gasping and arching his back deliciously as he fingered his ass, biting his lips as if trying to stifle his moans. When he leaned down to put the condom on Kaito’s erection, he looked up from underneath his lashes and _fuck_ —he was beautiful and Kaito wanted nothing more than to feel him cum all over his cock—

Nothing could prepare Kaito for the piece of  _heaven_ he had found the moment he eased his member inside of him. He was tight and hot and everything Kaito could ever ask for, but it was his reaction to the sensation that almost pushed him over the edge. Kokichi had gasped, eyes wide, and then let out a moan that was so obscene it made Kaito’s head spin. White hot pleasure lanced through his body as he started moving. Every thrust was almost a form of blissful torture in and of itself, and it didn’t help that Kokichi made no move to try and silence his loud moans. “Momo-chan… so full… so big, ah! Ah, fuck… right there…. Right there, _ah_ …”

 _Right there_ was Kokichi’s favorite apparently, because it was when he hits that particular spot that he arches his back even more, an expression of pure lust on his face as he claws onto the bedsheets desperately, toes curling in pleasure. When Kaito twisted his hips so that he’d hit that spot again and again, Kokichi almost cried out as if he couldn’t take any more. “Fuck, yes! Yes… ah, Momo…ta-chan… Momo-chan, please…”

He wasn’t sure what he was pleading for, but Kaito leaned down to kiss him, and he eagerly kissed back. It was messy and sloppy and more like a desperate clash of tongues and teeth than an actual kiss. Kaito felt his climax coming, and he shut his eyes as he groaned, his thrusts becoming faster, more erratic—“Ouma… fuck!” he bit on Kokichi’s neck to muffle his moans, feeling himself slip over the edge, crashing into a million pieces. He could vaguely hear Kokichi moaning his name out as he too came hard, evidenced by the sudden wetness between their bodies, Kokichi’s muffled gasp and shaking legs…

Kokichi was humming contentedly as he ran his fingers through Kaito’s hair, giggling to himself. “I’m going to regret this in the morning.”

Kaito nuzzled against his neck, murmuring sleepily as he closed his eyes. “I really wish you wouldn’t.”

Kokichi didn’t reply. Kaito felt a pang in his heart.

And when he woke up the next morning, he wasn’t at all surprised to see him gone.


	2. TOMARE! STOP!

If you want to go further, please be informed that I am doing some major editing on the next chapters. Some plot points are MOST LIKELY going to change after the editing, I just don't have time to do it at the moment.

I'm planning to make this fic more Oumiumota centric. Yes, you heard that right, I want some Oumiumota in my life. When will I continue this fic? I am... not sure. Someday. My passion for this story is reviving, so maybe sometime soon.   
  
(Or maybe never. Please be informed that this story is very low on my list of priorities, and there is a fair chance that it might even be abandoned. If you don't mind that risk, continue.)   
  
I am giving you the option to stop right here and pretend this story is just a one-shot. Or stop right here and wait for me to finish editing the later chapters before continuing. Or continue reading anyways but have to reread the next chapters to make sure you still got the plot points right. It's up to you, dear reader.   
  
Thanks for giving this fic a shot. I will delete this notice when I'm done editing. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaito waits for a call that will never come.

_The door is locked today. Again._

_I look out the window. I’m bored. The sun has set, and the stars are out. They’re pretty. I reach my hand up and try to reach them. I can’t. They’re too far away._

_The smell of the food wafted in the air. Mom calls me. I turn back to help her with setting the table. I left the stars on their own. They will be there again tomorrow night. They never leave._

_Mom smiles at me and ruffles my hair. She smells like stardust. I don’t know how stardust smells like, but I’m sure she smells like stardust. Mom is pretty, like the stars. I love Mom. “You’re so pretty,” she says. I grin. I’m pretty, like Mom. That’s all that matters._

_We eat together. I eat lots. Mom tells me to go to sleep before **he** comes back._

**_He_ ** _terrifies me. **He** terrifies Mom. I know  **he** does. That’s why I hate  **him.**_

**_He_ ** _… I never really knew his name._

_I dream of stars that night._

* * *

 

“Hurry up, hurry up slowpokes! Geez, you guys suck,” Kokichi muttered as he gazed at his fingernails with a bored expression, waiting for his workmates to haul their stuff back inside the truck. Crates and crates of liquor bottles, empty and full alike, along with the chairs they used on the bar was crammed inside at this point, most of which carried by their resident helpful giant Gokuhara Gonta and their resident lesbian feminist Chabashira Tenko. Yumeno Himiko, Tenko’s girlfriend, was exhausted from the magic show she had performed in the party last night, so she was now sleeping peacefully inside Ryoma’s car. Beside her, Iruma Miu, who just went along with them for the free ride, was passed out drunk.

Kokichi surveyed the packing crew.  _They’re taking awfully long,_ he thought, a little impatient and frustrated.  _I want to leave already._

He sighed as he massaged his temples, trying to ignore the throbbing headache that’s been bugging him since he woke up beside Kaito this morning. Momota Kaito… it’s been such a long while since he had last talked to him, but considering his reaction, he didn’t seem to remember. Kokichi made a sad smile.  _That’s okay. Let me be a wistful memory._ He didn’t realize Kaito was one of Rantarou’s friends now, and he had to admit he got a little too excited, so much so that he made up that lie about Korekiyo just to tease him. Kokichi glanced up at the mansion before them, imagining the look on his face when he woke up alone… would he be disappointed? Relieved?

“How dare you say that, you little lying degenerate! You’re not even helping us pack up!” Tenko huffed indignantly as she stood up in a fighting stance. She had been an aikido national champion back in high school, and she never did once let anyone forget it. “And why do we have to leave so early anyways? It’s six in the morning! We have barely slept a wink—”

“Gonta slept well in one of the empty rooms. Gonta will drive the truck!” Gonta reminded them. “And I think Hoshi-san didn’t drink too. He will drive the car, yes?”

“Of course I will.” Hoshi Ryoma was a dignified looking man that would have looked cool if he was over four feet. He pulled out a cigarette in his mouth and blew rings of smoke into the air. He was the owner of the bar they all worked in. “As if I would let you young’uns drive while you’re not sober. Especially  _you_ , Kokichi. I  _did_ allow you to let loose since you’re the one who got us the gig in the first place with your connections, but I didn’t expect you to get piss drunk and disappear halfway into the night.”

Kokichi pouted childishly and opened his mouth to retort, but he was cut off when a small thermos was offered upon him. He didn’t realize Kirumi has now arrived from inside the mansion. He opened the thermos cautiously and peered inside. It was coffee. He smiled and drank it, letting the caffeine fight off his hangover. “Thanks, mom!” Kirumi didn’t even look bothered anymore by this nickname. She really was like a mom, caring and responsible. “And hey, it’s your fault you gave me the pass, Hoshi-chan! Of course I’d abuse it! Nishishi!”

Toujou Kirumi gave him a contemplative look. “You did seem like you were enjoying yourself with a fine gentleman last night…”

Kokichi shrugged. So someone saw them, huh? It was no surprise, considering they were heavily making out in the middle of the dance floor.

Tenko shrugged as she hauled the last of the crates inside the truck. Kirumi went and helped her. “I’m not interested in a degenerate’s love life. More importantly,  _why_ are we leaving so early? That Amami Rantarou was so nice, at least for a degenerate male. Didn’t he tell us last night that we could eat breakfast here—”

“That’s exactly why, Chabashira-chan. The girls would be arriving any minute now, to eat breakfast and greet their older brother a happy birthday. Even if he tried to hide it by being polite, Ran-chan would really appreciate it if the liquor is already out of the house.” He patiently explained. He wasn’t lying, not technically. “Trust me, I know Ran-chan like the back of my hand.”

“Well, since they’re coming, aren’t you going to stay?” Ryoma asked, and Kokichi gave him a look of warning. Only Ryoma knows of Kokichi’s… situation. Kokichi shrugged.

“Nah. I’d rather sleep back in my comfortable apartment. My beloved Iidabashi-chan would be waiting for me~!”   He said as he sighed dramatically, before playfully skipping towards Ryoma’s car.

“Don’t pester my adorable little Himiko, degenerate! She needs her beauty sleep!”

“Fine, fine, whatevs. I’ll take shotgun.” He said as he sat down, glancing over at the girls who were sleeping blissfully in the back seat. He hummed as he drank more coffee — it tasted just like Rantarou’s favorite blend, the blend they made together when they were still kids—and reveled in the nostalgia it brought him. He glanced up at the mansion again. Rantarou would be exasperated to find him gone so early in the morning.

He pulled out his phone and stared at the picture he had taken with Kaito last night, him kissing his cheek. He felt a smile tug at his lips as he made it his background.

 _Call me,_ Kaito had said.

His fingers hovered over his contact information. And then, without any semblance of hesitation, he deleted it.

* * *

When Kaito woke up, Kokichi was gone. But that’s… alright, he supposed. It was basically a one night stand they shared. Kokichi probably thought staying for the morning after talk would be awkward. Kaito kind of understood that… though it didn’t keep him from feeling a little frustrated...

He groaned as he sat up, massaging his temples.  _Ugh… I hate hangovers,_ he thought as he looked around the room. Kaito hoped against all hope that it was one of the spare unused ones, because it would be really awkward to explain to Rantarou if this room happened to be his own… or worse, one of his sisters’. As he looked around though, he realized that maybe he didn’t have to worry about that. The furniture was draped over with a white cloth, to keep the dust out, it seemed. That cloth would have made him deduce (deduce? He’s been spending too much time with Shuuichi) that this is indeed a spare room, if not for the items around that seemed to give the elegant room a more personal touch.  A Yu-gi-oh poster was posted on the wall, and in the far corner, there was a white board filled with childish doodles. Kaito frowned. This room seemed like it would fit a younger boy, though as far as he could tell Rantarou didn’t have any brothers, did he? He only ever talked about his sisters…

Puzzled, Kaito decided to just ask Rantarou later as he stood up and picked up his clothes from the floor. It was then that he felt his phone in his pants and blanched.  _Oh shit. Shit shit shit._ He pulled out his phone and opened it, the screen booting to life.

It was then that Kaito realized that he was very, very dead.

 

_27 missed calls from Harumaki. 11 missed calls from Akamatsu._

_14 text messages._

**_Harumaki_ ** _(3:02 A.M.): Momota, Kaede wants to go home already._

**_Harumaki_ ** _(3:17 A.M.): space idiot, hey_

**_Harumaki_ ** _(3:18 A.M.): I can’t find you_

**_Akamatsu_ ** _(3:43 A.M.): Momota-kun, where are you? Maki is starting to get worried._

**_Akamastu_ ** _(3:54 A.M.): ??? >->_

**_Harumaki_**   _(4:05 A.M.): Momota_

 ** _Harumaki_**   _(4:05 A.M.): where the fuck are you??_

**_Harumaki_ ** _(4:06 A.M.): answer your phone or I swear if I find you_

**_Akamatsu_ ** _(4:16 A.M.): Momota-kun???_

**_Harumaki_ ** _(4:22 A.M.): ANSWER YOUR PHONE_

**_Harumaki_ ** _(4:22 A.M.): Momota KAITO_

**_Akamatsu_**   _(4:31 A.M.): Oh god, Momota-kun I’ll calm her down dw_

**_Akamatsu_ ** _(4:31 A.M.): just text us asap, please?_

“Fuck.” Kaito whispered as he tapped reply, trying to figure out what to say. Maki is a force to be reckoned with when she’s pissed. His only salvation is that Kaede promised she’d calm her girlfriend down, but sometimes even that wasn’t enough. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

 _‘Still at Amami’s. Passed out in one of the rooms. Sorry.’_ was the best explanation he could manage as he sent it to both of them. He wasn’t lying, not really, but he didn’t feel like saying he had a one night stand with a stranger last night. He brushed his fingers through his hair as he waited anxiously for their reply.

 

**_Akamatsu_ ** _(7:04 A.M.): That’s a relief! :D Amami-kun told us to stay for the night. We’re going to have breakfast with his sisters, come to the dining hall?_

**_Harukawa_ ** _(7:05 A.M.): you’re dead_

 

Kaito groaned as he tossed the phone on the bed, hurriedly putting on his clothes. They did smell a bit of alcohol, but they didn’t smell like sex, thank god. Well, at least Kaede was there to keep Maki in line, but he was certain he’ll still be chewed over his sudden absence regardless. As he was trying his damnest to straighten the wrinkles out of his jacket and look more presentable, he saw the bottle of lube laying innocently on the floor. He huffed in exasperation as he took it and opened the bedside drawer where Kokichi pulled it out, only to freeze in his tracks.

Inside was a plain white envelope. On its back, words were written in an almost elegant script.  _To Amami Rantarou._  Should he pass it on to Rantarou? Kaito frowned. No, he probably shouldn’t mess with this room more than he already has. He placed the lube back in and shut the drawer close.

He made one look at himself in the mirror and decided he looked decent. Sighing, he peeked out into the hallway.  _This mansion really_ is  _huge,_ he thought as he wandered about, asking a random maid where the dining hall was. The maid led him there, and as soon as he entered, he almost gasped.

He really should stop getting impressed and get used to it already. This was Rantarou’s family home, and if his family is as big as he made it out to be, of course their dining hall would be this… grand. Nevertheless, he was still in a daze as he processed the huge 24-seater dining table, the magnificent crystal chandeliers, the lush red carpet underneath his feet…

“Rantarou-sama. Your friend has arrived.” The maid called out as soon as they entered. It was only then that he realized Rantarou and the two girls were already sitting down on the far end of the table. He raised a hand awkwardly to greet them as he walked closer. Rantarou’s eyes lit up, ushering him to take a seat beside him as the maids started placing heaps of food on the table. Croissants, pasta, eggs benedict, waffles, bacon… the smell wafted and assaulted his nose. It smelled really, really good.

Maki glared at him with those terrifying red eyes of hers, but Kaede placed her hand on hers and she instantly calmed down with a sigh.

Kaede was the first to speak. Her gaze is friendlier than Maki’s, but it was still filled with disapproval. “Momota-kun! Where were you last night? We were worried sick. We thought something happened to you…” 

Immediately, Kaito felt guilty as he sat down. He scratched the back of his head. Making his friends worry about him… he hated it. “I’m sorry guys. It just slipped my mind. I was, uh… drunk… and…” he trailed off when he realized Rantarou was giving him a look. That  _look._ He seemed like he had at least a bit of an idea about what happened to Kaito last night and was trying his best not to look amused. Kaito groaned as he picked up a croissant and threw it on Rantarou’s face. “Shut up.” He growled.

“I didn’t even say anything yet!” Rantarou replied, chuckling as he took the croissant and bit it, chewing enthusiastically. One of the maids, for some reason, dutifully passed Kaito a cup of coffee without a word. The smell of alcohol must have been more apparent than he originally thought. He mumbled a thank you as he drank, massaging his temples.

Their group started talking about a lot of things, like how it was such a waste that Shuuichi wasn’t able to make it, or what other countries Rantarou plans to visit next, or where Kaede’s next piano recital will be held. Rantarou started talking about how excited he was that he was about to introduce them to his siblings, who were about to arrive soon. Their chatter was only cut off when a maid walked inside the dining hall, holding a familiar envelope in her hands. Rantarou’s eyes widened as he held up a hand to excuse himself. The maid leaned in his ear to whisper.

His face, which was a painting of genuine happiness a moment ago, slowly turned into a strained expression. “He  _what_?” he almost hissed. Kaede and Maki stared at him in surprise. He looked exasperated as he sighed, still talking to the maid. “He  _promised_! The girls expect him to be here! Can’t he even spare one goddamn breakfast?” He snatched the envelope from the maid’s hands as he suddenly stood up, pulling up his phone and giving them all an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. I just have to make a call. I’ll be back.”

And with that he walked out of the dining hall, looking grim. Rantarou never really looked angry. He was always coolheaded. But at that moment, he looked positively irritated.

They were left in silence. Kaede cleared her throat. “Well, that’s…” she trailed off, uneasily.

“…Weird.” Maki finished for her. But she didn’t look interested anymore as she dug her fork into her food, curling it over a bit of pasta. She looked over at Kaito with a glare. “Don’t —  _ever —_ disappear like that again.”

Kaito laughed nervously. “I won’t do it again, Harumaki. Let me off the hook, okay?”

She shrugged as she put a forkful of pasta into her mouth. Soon enough, Rantarou came back, but his mood didn’t seem any better than before he left. This time he seemed more resigned though, as if whatever happened was something he should have seen coming.

“What happened, Amami-kun?” Kaede asked, sounding worried. Rantarou simply shook his head.

“Well… it doesn’t matter,” he replied. “Just… someone who promised they’d be here won’t be able to make it today.” He sounded really disappointed, maybe even a little spiteful. He placed a hand behind his head and chuckled nervously. “Actually… never mind that. So, what were we talking about?”

“About Momota and his obviously just-fucked hair this morning,” Maki deadpanned.

Kaito was horrified. “Harumaki!”

“Ah! I noticed it too!” Kaede said as she put her hands together, a vibrant, teasing smile on her face. “I thought it was just me so I didn’t bring it up.”

Rantarou disguised his fit of chuckles with a cough.

“So who’s the lucky girl?” Kaede asked, looking very much excited.

“Please tell me you used protection. There’s a limit to idiocy.” Maki added, looking bored unlike her girlfriend.

Kaito choked on his food, feeling himself flush. Kaede and Rantarou was staring at him expectantly, and that was when he realized he couldn’t avoid this topic any longer. He cleared his throat. “A-Actually… it’s a guy,” he confessed.

Kaede blinked in surprise. Rantarou seemed even more amused now. Maki cocked an eyebrow. Silence reigned for a few moments, until finally Kaede broke the quietude with an excited gasp.

“Momota-kun, I didn’t know you were one of us!” She giggled as she leaned closer with interest. Kaito almost wanted to reply:  _I didn’t know either._ But Kaede was already rambling. “So who’s the mystery guy who woke up your sexuality, Momota-kun? I  _have_ to know!”

Kaito sighed heavily. Kaede was impossible when she’s like this. Rantarou gave him a look that said  _“Just give her what she wants.”_

“There was this bartender last night,” Kaito explained patiently. “He said his name was Ouma.”

“Ouma-kun, huh… did you get his number?” Kaede asked excitedly. “Was he good in bed?”

“Akamatsu,  _stop_!” Kaito said as he covered his face with one hand, feeling the embarrassment overwhelm him. “Just stop, okay? We are  _so_ not going to talk about my sex life right now!”

Maki bit her lip, but she looked like she was stifling a smile. Meanwhile, Rantarou put a finger on his chin thoughtfully. “A bartender, huh?” he frowned. “The name sounds familiar, but I’m not sure. I really haven’t interacted with them much, honestly.” He said sheepishly.

“It’s just a one night stand, don’t sweat it,” Kaito said as he stabbed at his food. “I mean, he has my number, but he’ll probably never call me back.” He realized he sounded awfully disappointed, so he perked his mood up. “Well, not that it matters! Amami, are those your sisters?” He pointed at the door as it was opened by one of the butlers.

As if on cue, twelve young girls with the same green-colored hair poured into the room, giggling and chatting along with each other. Their ages ranged from seventeen to a measly four. The oldest one was obviously taking charge or the younger ones, guiding them along. Rantarou stood up to greet them, and the youngest one ran towards him eagerly. “Ran-nii-tan!” the little girl squealed. Rantarou was chuckling as he lifted her in his arms.

The other girls started filing in their seats, seemingly acting a little more behaved when they saw their older brother’s guests. The girl who must have been the oldest tried to take the youngest from Rantarou’s arms, but Rantarou shook his head and muttered. “It’s fine, Ryouko.”

The girl, who must have been Amami Ryouko, just chuckled at the youngest one’s antics. She then looked around, as if she was searching for someone. A look of disappointment graced her face. “Where’s…” she trailed off.

“He’s not coming.” Rantarou said, a little coldly.

"Oh."

Ryouko looked disappointed, but she nodded as she sat on her seat. 

 _Who’s not coming?_ Kaito was tempted to ask, but he kept his mouth shut. The ripple of uneasiness that went through the Amami girls was evidence enough that it was quite a sensitive subject. Thankfully, Kaede’s cheery introduction broke the ice, and before they all knew it they were all chatting and talking eagerly, the identity of the missing guest long forgotten.

All throughout their breakfast, Kaito kept one hand on his phone, hoping against all hope that maybe, just maybe… it will ring.

It didn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll give a cookie to whoever can guess what the actual fuck is happening in this chapter. XD 
> 
> Thanks for reading this bullshit of mine. Hahahaha


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hired stalkers, Momo-chan, and unwelcome visitors. What could go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for Comatose_Overdose for everything. Just... thank you. T^T
> 
> Thanks for the comments and kudos, I appreciate it. Even if I don't have time to reply to everyone, I swear I am reading and rereading every single one of it! <3

As soon as they arrived back at the bar, Kirumi’s phone started to ring.

“I apologize. Please start unloading the truck without me. This will only take a while.” She said with an apologetic smile as she picked up the call, walking further away from the group for some privacy. “Hello? This is Toujou speaking.”

 _Ever formal._ Kokichi thought as he watched her from afar. He could vaguely register Tenko complaining loudly in the background once again. The others started filing out of the car, as Hoshi unlocked the door of the establishment. Himiko yawned as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, before frowning at Kokichi.

“Nyeh… Why are you glaring at Toujou?” she asked. An innocent question. Kokichi smiled coldly at her.

“None of your business, Yumeno-chan.”

“Go talk to her.” Ryoma said as he opened the door, ushering the still-drunk Miu inside. He was giving Kokichi that look again, the look that Rantarou usually gives him when he’s doing something stupid. Kokichi rolled his eyes, to which Ryoma grunted to. “Kokichi, you’re only delaying the inevitable. You two.  _Talk._ I’m sick of your game of tag. If you don’t settle that thing, I’m not giving you your salary for the month.”

Kokichi gasped dramatically, tears edging at his eyes. “H-Hoshi-chan? You’d do that to me? But I have a sick mother to pay hospital bills for, and countless siblings to feed! They all depend on me! How can you do this to little old me---“

Gonta gasped in horror as he lifted a crate of liquor from the truck. “You have to pay for all that stuff? Please take Gonta’s money, too! If Ouma-san needed it more, then I will definitely---“

“Geez, Gonta, stop being stupid. If you’re that easy to scam, the universe won’t smile upon you.” Kokichi deadpanned, tears suddenly gone from his eyes.

“Huh? The universe smiles?”

Kokichi didn’t even bother to grace that with a reply as he looked over at Hoshi, who stared back at him, unfazed. He glanced at Kirumi again, too busy with her phone call to realize what was happening, and bit his thumbnail. In the background, Tenko lectured Gonta about how he should stop listening to Kokichi’s lies and get used to it already. Himiko sleepily nuzzled against her side. Miu cursed under her breath as she held her head and groaned, muttering about stupid virgins and stupider alcohol.

Finally, his eyes settled in the thermos on his hands, remembering the taste of coffee, the taste of home. He felt his heart grow heavy in his chest.

“Fine.” He relented. Hoshi’s lips twitched, seemingly pleased. He gestured over to Kirumi as he walked inside the building.

Kokichi sighed as he walked over to Kirumi’s direction, sneaking in the way that he had perfected ever since he was a child. She didn’t even notice him, continuing her conversation. Her voice was a little hushed, silent, secretive. She must have thought she was doing such a great job at hiding her true motives here, but for someone like Kokichi who had dealt with this kind of thing for literally  _years,_ she was transparent, crystal clear. He almost wanted to laugh the first day she came into the bar, insisting that she wanted to apply for  _any_ position. She was wonderful at anything she does, it seemed, and Hoshi has always told Kokichi that at this point it would be detrimental to his business, not to mention completely unfair for her, should he fire her.

Kokichi didn’t hate her, he just hated her job.

He hated  _rats._

“… couldn’t stop him. Please forgive me.” He heard her say, when he was close enough to overhear. “May I be allowed to share a personal opinion?” A pause. “I believe approaching him and talking to him outright is a better option in this matter. He is stubborn.” Another pause. “Of course. I will be keeping an eye out, as always---“ A small gasp left her lips as Kokichi took the phone from her hands suddenly, jumping to snatch it out of her hands.

He placed it on his ear and said in the most sickly sweet tone. “Hello? Kokichi speaking! Who is this? Amami-san? Ran-chan?”

There was a pause in the other side of the line. A patient sigh.  _“Kokichi, you still call dad ‘Amami-san’? What the fuck?”_

Kokichi laughed. So it was Amami Rantarou. “Ran-chan, stop stalking me. Or paying people to stalk me. It’s  _creepy_.”

 _“I won’t have to do it if you visit back home at least once a month like you promised you would when you I allowed you to move out._ Goddammit  _, Kokichi!”_

“Nishishi. But that’s a lie~! Isn’t that my shtick? Lying?” He giggled. “As if you aren’t used to it already.”

_“You should’ve at least stayed to eat with the girls? As a birthday present for me?”_

“I already went out of my way to plan your birthday party! What more do you want?”

Another sigh. Finally, he muttered.  _“Okay, fine. But the thing is: I also needed to talk to you, Kokichi. If I knew you were leaving so soon, I would have combed the mansion to find you yesterday. This is pretty important.”_ There was a shift in Rantarou’s voice, the kind of tone he uses when he was dead serious, like that day when they first met, or when he had to tell the girls their mom was dead, or whenever he addressed the maids in any official manner. Kokichi fancied calling it his “parent” voice, the voice that he uses whenever he had to be the head of the family, when ‘Amami-san’ was too busy to be.  _“I’m sure you already expected this but Dad, he… didn’t like the fact that you left home.”_

Kokichi scoffed. “Took him long enough to notice I’m gone. What, two years?”

 _“One and eight months.”_ Rantarou corrected dejectedly.  _“Dad thought sending Toujou-san to look after you was better than forcing you to go back home. He knew you’d run away again anyway. So… I know you don’t like it, but I’m sorry.”_

Kokichi glanced at Kirumi. His coworker/stalker was staring at him intently, hands clasped in front of her, waiting patiently. Sometimes Kokichi wondered if she was even human, even in this moment of being caught she was still poised… composed.

“I kind of figured that.” Kokichi replied, playing with a bit of his hair. He also kind of figured what Rantarou wanted to talk to him about. And he was dreading it. “So? What do you want?”

Rantarou was silent for a long while. Finally, he replied.  _“If I tell you right now, you’d end the call on me.”_

“Boo-hoo. Try me.”

 _“No, I’d rather convince you personally. I’m going to your apartment in a few hours. And I swear to god, Kokichi, if you aren’t there like the last five fucking times I went there, I am going to order Toujou-san to drag you home by the ear, kicking and screaming, and this time I_ mean  _it.”_

Kokichi glanced at Kirumi, glaring at her pointedly. He knew that despite her feminine frame and delicate-seeming nature, she was strong as hell. Not quite rivaling Gonta, but getting there. Kokichi sighed heavily. Looks like he had no choice. When Rantarou is in this kind of mood, he doesn’t take no for an answer. “Fine!” he said, stomping his feet childishly. “Suit yourself, Amami-chan!”

As expected, Rantarou sounded absolutely appalled.  _“A-Amami-chan?”_

“Bye-bye!”

_“Kokichi---“_

**_Beep._** Kokichi pressed the end call button, grinning from ear to ear, pleased with himself for at least having the last laugh. Rantarou absolutely hated Kokichi calling him ‘Amami-chan’, it was the very first argument they had when they were kids. “I’m your brother now, so call me Ran-nii too!” Rantarou’s younger self had insisted. Kokichi had refused and refused and refused for weeks… at least until he met the girls and realized that he had no choice to call them all by their first names if he was going to live in their house from then on. ‘Ran-chan’ was a compromise.

It was funny, really, how childish it all was now that Kokichi thought about it. Thinking about it now, he’s always been a pain in Rantarou’s ass.

As the adrenaline from his reverie wore off, Kokichi’s smile faded. Kirumi was still staring at him intently. He tossed the phone in her direction, and she caught it easily.

“I apologize, Kokichi-sama.” She didn’t sound very apologetic. “I was simply ordered to look after you, please do not take it to heart---“

“Thank you for the coffee.” Kokichi cut her off, smiling innocently. “It tasted really good.”

She blinked… in surprise. Kokichi wondered if she expected him to fire her or something. Well, not like he had the authority to do so. He didn’t want to have a say in the Amami affairs anymore, and Hoshi has taken quite a liking to this diligent employee. There is something that Kokichi was quite curious about though.

“Hey, Toujou-chan… how much do you know about me?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.

It was the first time that he saw her hesitate. “Not much, I am afraid.”

“My childhood?”

She shook her head.

“My relationships?”

She glanced at the bar, and nodded. Once.

“Hmm~” Kokichi hummed as he placed a finger on his cheek. “Then, what about my mom?”

Kirumi visibly winced. “I am… quite aware that she is a sensitive subject.”

“Oh, you mean the fact that she was Amami-san’s mistress?” Kokichi cackled, laughing heartily. Why he was laughing, he wasn’t really sure. It was quite funny that Kirumi just tried to tiptoe around it, as if it was something Kokichi would ever feel uncomfortable with. Then she didn’t know him enough. Kokichi had a good time taunting all the maids and butlers about it as he was growing up. It just seemed like a really funny detail, after everything he’s been through.

Kirumi finally looked uncomfortable, reminding Kokichi that she was human after all. “Please do not say such sensitive information so nonchalantly, Kokichi-sama. It would hurt your father’s reputation---“

“He’s not my dad. So shut up.” Kokichi said as he brushed her off, letting his laughter subside. “And please stop calling me that, just because I caught you now don’t change things. Most of the others don’t know that stuff. Ouma is fine.”

She hesitated. “Of course. But Ouma-san, why are using that name, anyways? I do not understand.”

Kokichi took a deep breath. Why indeed?

Punishment. Retribution.

He giggled. “It’s  _my_ name. Can’t I use my own damn name?”

“Well, legally, it isn’t your name anymore---“

“Boo! Toujou-chan is such a bore! I’m out!” Kokichi suddenly said as he skipped towards the bar. It seems Tenko and Gonta had already finished unloading and were relaxing inside. The bar wasn’t due to open until six p.m. tonight, so they were simply chatting animatedly as Himiko showed them her card tricks again, Tenko applauding her girlfriend as Gonta stared in wonder. Miu was in the corner, sleeping against a table, Ryoma watching over her---

He noticed him as soon as he entered. “Hey, kid. Everything went well?” Kokichi shrugged. That was about all the response Ryoma needed. The bar owner made a small grin. “That’s good. I get that you wanna be independent, but family is still family, no matter how troublesome they are. Treasure them while they’re still around.”

Kokichi sat down next to him and placed a hand under his chin. “They’re not my family.” He whispered. “My family died years ago.”

“Still stubborn about that, huh?”

Kokichi sighed, heavily. Hoshi was lighting another cigarette. Kokichi scowled. “You’re shortening your lifespan, Hoshi-chan.”

“All the better.”

Kokichi snickered. “Hypocrite.” He said as he kicked the leg of the table suddenly, jolting Iruma awake. “Hey, whore. Wake up.”

“W-What?” Miu asked as she looked around, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Her strawberry blonde hair was a mess, and her mascara was all over the place. She frowned at him. “Shitty shota?”

Kokichi smiled as he leaned towards her and raised his palm in front of him. “Give me your car keys. I’m driving you home.”

“Home?” she groaned as she pressed her cheek against the table again. “I don’t wanna go home… It’s so empty, god fucking dammit!” she started banging her fist on the table, sounding truly offended. “Why won’t those virgins fuck me? Am I ugly, Cuckichi?”

Kokichi rolled his eyes. “Yes, you’re ugly, and easily the most disgusting piece of trash I’ve ever laid my eyes on, Miu-chan. Does that turn you on? Can we get a move on?”

She made a sound that was halfway through a grunt and a moan.

Kokichi tapped on her shoulder and laid his hand out again. “Keys.” She whimpered as she reached down to her cleavage and pulled the keys from between her breasts, kept together by a hot pink keychain. Kokichi scowled as he took it and started rubbing it against the sleeve of her dress. “Boob sweat. Gross.”

Iruma whimpered as she sleepily leaned against his shoulder. “Kokichi….” She mumbled.

“Yeah?”

“Don’t take me home.”

That made Kokichi pause. He glanced down at her, as understanding passed through his expression. He hesitated. “Then… should I take you to my apartment?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you going to fuck me?”

“You wish.”

“God, I fucking  _hate_ your guts.”

“Love you too, Miu-chan.”

 

* * *

 

_“Momo-chan.”_

A familiar hushed voice.

_“Momo-chan!”_

A familiar face. A familiar smile.

_“Momo-chan, don’t go.”_

A plea. Pale hands reaching out from the window, a confused gaze.

 _I’ll come back. I’ll visit you!_ He wanted to tell her, but it was useless.

He never saw her again.

 

 

“Momota-kun?”

Kaito opened his eyes to see Kaede tapping his shoulder with a small smile, waking him up. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked around, realizing that they were inside Rantarou’s car, now in the parking lot of their dormitories.

 _What was that?_ He thought, feeling a little uneasy.  _Remembering her at a time like this…_

Must be because Kokichi called him ‘Momo-chan’ yesterday. She was the only one that ever called him that, but that was such a long time ago…

“Are you feeling alright, Momota-kun? You look a little pale.” Rantarou asked as he looked back at them from the driver’s seat.

“I’m fine. Just the hangover.” Kaito replied. “Thanks for driving us, Amami.” He said as he stepped out of the car from the back seat. Kaede and Maki came out after him, and Rantarou rolled down the window as he smiled.

“No, thank  _you_ for coming to my party. Tell Saihara-kun my regards when he arrives. He went back to his uncle’s for the weekend, right?”

“Yeah, it was such a shame. Your party was really fun!” Kaede said as she clasped her fingers together in front of her. “You said your sibling planned it, right? Was it you, Ryouko-chan? Good job!”

Ryouko, sitting on the shotgun seat, smiled uneasily. “Well, it’s not me, actually.” She said as she leaned over her brother to stick her hand out from the window, offering them a handshake in farewell. “But it was very nice to meet you. I’m relieved my brother has friends of his own, and isn’t being a big loner because of his troublesome siblings---“

“Ryouko!”  Rantarou said, sounding a little offended. But he had a smile on his lips.

Kaito chuckled. “No problem. Your brother is a pretty cool guy.” He said as he took her hands and shook it…  _Huh?_ He frowned. Her hand had a strange texture unbecoming of such typical rich young lady. He was expecting it to be smooth as silk, as evidenced of a life lived in luxury, but instead it was… rough.

As she pulled her hand away and started shaking the hands of the girls, he gave her hand a glance. There was a huge, ugly scar in the middle of her palm, slightly embossed against her skin. It was obviously a really bad wound, he could even see the small scars of the stitches, but she didn’t seem to mind it one bit.

It seems he wasn’t the only one who noticed it. Maki frowned as she asked. “What happened to your hand?”

Ryouko blinked, and then flushed, chuckling awkwardly. “Ah… It was an accident.” She said, glancing at the scar with a somber expression. Rantarou tensed, his hands tightening on the steering wheel for a moment, before he let out a small sigh and looked up at them, smiling casually.

“Anyways. This is as far as we could take you. Ryouko and I have somewhere to be, so if you’ll excuse us…”

Kaito nodded.

“Take care, Rantarou-kun! Ryouko-chan!” Kaede called out as Rantarou pulled the window up, his sister giving them a last fleeting smile before the car drove away. As their car disappeared from view, Maki frowned, biting her thumbnail.

“That’s a knife wound.” She murmured, sounding concerned.

Kaito frowned. “How did you know?”

Maki hesitated. “When I was in the orphanage, there was this kid---“ she cut herself off and shook her head. “You know what? Never mind.”

 

* * *

 

 

As soon as they started to drive out of the parking lot, Ryouko shifted uneasily. She fiddled with her seatbelt, feeling rather than seeing the tension in the way Rantarou held the steering wheel in front of him. Anyone who’s going to say that Rantarou was nothing but a coolheaded, chill guy didn’t know Rantarou enough--- he was actually scary when he’s angry, and deathly silent when he’s stressed. This was one of those times, she supposed. So she stayed silent, compliant. After all, it was she who begged him to take her with him today.

“You didn’t wear your gloves today.” Rantarou commented. His voice was even, not betraying any emotion behind his words.

“What do you think will hurt him more, seeing the scars or seeing me hide it as if it was something to be ashamed of?” She said as she stared straight at her older brother.

Rantarou fell silent.

Ryouko stared at her palm, murmuring. “Is it ugly, Ran-nii-san?”

Rantarou glanced over at her. Pain flashed in his eyes, as he bit his lip. “No part of you can ever be ugly, Ryouko. I just wish I…” trailed off as he paused on a stoplight and took a shaky breath. “Look, it should’ve been me. I should’ve been there. I’m the oldest, I should be the one protecting you and Kokichi---“

Ryouko made a small smile. “You’re a hypocrite, nii-san. You tell us not to blame ourselves for that incident, and then you blame yourself.”

Rantarou winced, sighing heavily as the light turned green. “This isn’t a good idea, you know. You coming to see him right now.”

“If Ko-nii-san doesn’t want to see me, so be it.”

Rantarou nodded grimly. The rest of the drive continued in silence. Ryouko looked outside the window most of time, drinking the sights in. She was still a year short of graduating in high school, but this was quite a nice university. Maybe when she’s older, she’d try to get in---

“We’re here.” Rantarou said as he parked the car in front of an apartment complex. It was actually not too far from the university premises, just the right distance to be used by students who wanted more space for themselves than the dorms could provide. The place was alright --- not fancy, but not too shabby either. Ryouko absentmindedly thought the building could benefit with a repainting though. The only thing that seemed off about it was the fact that a hot pink convertible was parked in front of the complex, a symbol of luxury so disconnected from the mediocrity of the surrounding area.

“Iruma-san’s car.” Rantarou easily explained as he opened the door on his side, getting out of the car.

A scandalized gasp left Ryouko’s lips as she felt herself flush. “They’re living together?  _Already?_ ” At her reaction, Rantarou chuckled. She blushed further in embarrassment. “  _Rantarou-onii-san!_ I’m just saying, I’m not ready for nephews and nieces yet!”

Rantarou bit his lip as he looked up at the building. “Yeah… that  _is_ quite a valid concern…”

She shook her head, trying to will her embarrassment away.

“But as far as I know, or as far as Kirumi-san reported, Kokichi is living with a friend named…” he pulled out his phone and fiddled with it. “… Iidabashi Kiibo. Apparently they shared a room to save money.”

“Iidabashi Kiibo?” Ryouko asked as she tiptoed to see what he’s looking at on his phone. All she could make out were text messages. She gave her older brother an accusatory look. “Stalker stuff. That’s… quite creepy, nii-san. Ko-nii would be  _pissed_.”

Rantarou made a nervous chuckle. “He already is, I’m afraid.”

“So! Shall we go?”

Rantarou stared at her. Ryouko smiled, a gentle encouraging smile, as she elbowed him in the direction of the building entrance. He sighed as he bit his lip, before putting his phone back on his pocket. “You’re right. I’m just nervous. Let’s go.”

 

* * *

 

 

It was Kokichi who opened the door.

“Ran-chan~!” he called out, smiling innocently as he threw himself at him. Rantarou blinked in surprise and took a step back, almost falling over, as he tried to right himself up and take Kokichi’s weight. He sighed patiently and gave him a slightly annoyed smile.

“You act as if you didn’t try to avoid me for months.” He grumbled as he ruffled his hair.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Rantarou rolled his eyes as she looked around the apartment. It was pretty neat, he supposed. He saw Miu sitting on the couch, drinking a cup of tea. Envy--- cold and bitter--- stabbed his heart. The first time Kokichi ran away, he cut off all contact with his family and friends. They couldn’t contact him, couldn’t find him, couldn’t get an idea where the hell he might be or if he was even alright. They were worried sick. That was until they contacted Miu asking if she knew something, and she replied. “Yeah, he called me this morning. He’ll be fine. So stop looking for that fucker, he doesn’t want to be found.”

For months, Miu was the only one who knew where the hell Kokichi was. At least until his dad hired Kirumi to stalk her, eventually finding him in a bar she frequents. The thought that Kokichi trusted her more than he trusted him… doesn’t sit well with Rantarou.

 _He could’ve just told me what was wrong._ He thought.  _I would’ve listened._

Even so, he was grateful for Miu’s help in taking care of Kokichi’s well-being. Politely, he raised a hand to greet her. “Good morning, Iruma-san. I saw your car parked out front.”

Miu merely grunted as she finished her tea. Kokichi beamed.

“Yeah! She was so piss drunk, and of course as a true gentleman, I believe it was only right to accompany a lady until she’s sober…” he trailed off as his eyes glanced over to the hallway, the blood draining from his face when he saw her. “Ryouko-chan.”

Rantarou tensed. Ryouko uneasily smiled as she took a step closer. To this, Kokichi’s eyes widened as he took a step back. “No…” he whispered.

Ryouko looked hurt, but she took a step closer. “Ko-nii-san---”

“Get her out.”

Rantarou bit his lip. He knew this was coming. He sighed heavily as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Kokichi, look---“

“I said, get her  _out_!”

For a few moments, nobody moved. Finally, Miu grunted as she gave the two Amamis an annoyed look. “You two are idiots. Hey, Runt-tarou, you better get the shitty shota inside his room. And you--- what’s your name? God, there are fucking twelve of you--- don’t move one step. No, scratch that, move three steps back.” She then raised her voice as if she was talking to someone across the room. “Kiiboy, we’ve got visitors! Can you drop the project for a while and help out? The shota is having a fit!”

“A  _what_?” An unfamiliar voice resounded from inside one of the closed rooms. The sound of clattering came up, like pots and pans falling over each other. Finally, the door opened and a head poked out from the room--- a guy with unruly white hair and cerulean eyes frowning over at them, confused. “Iruma-san?” his eyes widened. “Ah! We have visitors? I apologize! I didn’t know---” He started to fret over his hair, straightening the rumpled lab coat he was wearing as he tried to make himself look presentable.

Kokichi glared at Miu. “I am  _not_ having a fit, fuck you.” He said in contempt, but his hands were shaking.

Miu rolled her eyes. “Well, fuck you too. I’ll take care of the girl, you three stay inside.” She said as she stepped out of the apartment, closing the door behind her. As soon as she did, Kokichi started to slowly relax… and Rantarou felt horrible. He could only imagine the hurt Ryouko was feeling right now, he was so stupid, he shouldn’t have agreed to this, why did he agree to this---

He knew why. A part of him was hoping that maybe now, a year and eight months later, they could finally move on from that incident. Maybe they could finally be a family again. But the shaking of the boy currently in his arms, his labored breaths and racing heart proved otherwise.

The guy who came out from the room --- He must have been Kiibo, Rantarou realized--- cleared his throat awkwardly. “Uhm… does anyone want some tea?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curious what Amami Ryouko looked like? Since I don't have a life (haha, that's depressing), I drew her. Here's the link: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/411279109709365248/416062249388605440/Ryouko.png
> 
> Also, my mental health is taking a bit of a toll on me, so my updates might become less and less frequent. Sorry about that. I promise I'll continue writing when I feel better. But for now... eh.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amami and Ouma talk about stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The more I write this fic, the more I fall into the rabbit hole of world building. The more I fall, the more I realize that this has become less an oumota fic and more like a celebration of my favorite ships, friendships and characters. So be warned: if you’re here for the oumota… uhm… this will be so fucking slow, because I’m juggling 16 (and possibly more) characters here. Cut me some slack. XD 
> 
> Your comments make my day, so thank you! Though the fact that people are actually reading this story is making me a little self-conscious. Because… well, the first chapters are very tame compared to what lies ahead. But that’s the thing. At first glance, a lot of people seem very capable of holding themselves together. Until they don’t. 
> 
> Disclaimers:  
> *I have no idea how universities work in the US. I’m going to base mostly of the college stuff in this fic from my own experience--- from the academic calendar to the events to the departments to the culture and such. So if there are some stuff that seems weird or inaccurate--- that’s just how we do it in my university. Okay?  
> * The information I have about mental health is based solely on internet research and personal experiences. I won’t go into specifics, but if I somehow inaccurately portrayed something, I assure you that it is not my intention. I am simply writing my heart out. People cope in various ways. Please keep that in mind.  
> * Ouma is fucking mess. I’m sorry. 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: Flashbacks, Implied Rape, Implied Abuse, Mentioned Self-Harm

Kiibo wasn’t much of a morning person. He was kind of a night owl, and the only reason anyone would catch him up at eight in the morning was if he had class (which he’ll  _never_ miss, ever) or if he had just pulled an all-nighter working on his personal projects. These days he had been obsessed about this learning AI that he had been working on with Miu’s (and occasionally Kokichi’s) assistance. Today was no exception.

Imagine his surprise when in the middle of drawing up a blueprint for the robot chassis he was planning to build for it, he was startled by Miu’s loud voice, telling him to drop the project for a second because Kokichi was having a…  _what?_ It didn’t even occur to him that it was already morning, and he was perplexed to find out that they had visitors, people he had never seen before. Kokichi and Miu seemed to refer to them in a familiar manner though, even if Kokichi seemed to be in the middle of yelling himself hoarse trying to get the young teenage girl out of their apartment. Miu took charge, calmly assessing and handling the situation, and when she closed the door, Kiibo was left with a shaking Kokichi, an unfamiliar stranger, and a whole lot of awkwardness. He didn’t understand much of what happened, so instead he cleared his throat and asked. “Uhm… does anyone want some tea?”

The stranger looked up, and immediately Kiibo blushed, wishing he had looked a little bit more presentable. He was gorgeous and… well, Kiibo was a complete fucking mess. He was hyperaware that he had this shirt on since yesterday, that his lab coat had coffee stains on it, plus the fact that he had been sporting a pair of monumental eye bags that he had been acquainted with since early into middle school--- when his father and mentor finally let him create robots of his own. Well not that there was anything he could really do about that. His lifestyle simply did not allow for such luxuries as a nightly eight-hour sleep. Nighttime makes half of  _all_ time after all, and how could he ever feel comfortable sleeping with the thought that he was wasting so much time when he had a lot of robots to breathe life upon?

This was probably the reason why Kokichi had become quite fond of calling him “robot freak”. Kiibo never fails to scold him at how robophobic he was being, in times like those. In response, Kokichi had created Mini Kiibo (later nicknamed Miibo) from the pieces of an old broken down drone Kiibo had tossed away, a small toy-like robot that yells “That’s robophobic!” every time it recognizes certain words from voice prints. Kiibo was pretty sure it was supposed to be a prank, some kind of mockery, but he was already so impressed he didn’t care. He treated Miibo like a present, in fact it still sat in center table of the living room, even now. Before then, Kiibo had always been a little uneasy around Kokichi, but finding out that he was into coding and engineering as well despite the fact that he insults the field every five seconds made him actually  _like_ being his roommate.

“No, thank you.” The stranger replied, looking a little stressed, Kiibo found himself wondering who he must be to Kokichi, since he held his roommate with so much care and genuine worry. Kiibo looked down at the smaller boy whose shaky breaths still hasn’t recovered. His eyes reminded him of a cornered wild animal.

“Kokichi… Calm down. Deep breaths.” the stranger said in a calm voice, patting Kokichi’s back. The touch seemed to make Kokichi flinch, as he suddenly hissed.

“ _Don’t touch me!”_

The stranger immediately raised both hands up in the air in surrender. “Okay. Hands already up, see?” He said in a controlled voice, and Kiibo realized this must not have been the first time this guy handled Kokichi before. Kiibo himself was not a stranger to Kokichi’s “fits”, as Miu puts it, but it has always made him slightly nervous. Sure, Miu had advised him that leaving Kokichi alone in this moments was the best thing he could do since Kokichi can and would bounce back on his own eventually, but Kiibo couldn’t help but think that he should do something to help him anyways. He just didn’t know  _what._

Apparently the stranger’s approach was correct, because Kokichi visibly relaxed, swallowing hard. The stranger continued. “Focus on my voice, Kokichi. Come back to me. You’re here in your apartment, you’re safe. I’m with you. I’m right here.”

“Ran-chan…” Kokichi’s eyes were glazed over, like he’s not exactly there, but he shut it closed as he exhaled a shaky breath, muttering. “I’m fine. I’m just…”

“Do you want to go to your room?” ‘Ran-chan’ asked. Kokichi looked at him and frowned, seemingly confused. Then his eyes locked on Kiibo, and darted around the room, as if he was seeing it for the first time. Finally, he nodded.

“I’ll help you on your way there. Can I touch you now?”

Kokichi stared at his hands for a long moment… and nodded.

‘Ran-chan’ smiled. Kokichi seemed to be a lot calmer now when he stood up, though he still looked a little shaken. They walked towards his room… one step, two… until suddenly Kokichi gasped, clutching on the stranger’s shirt. His eyes were wide. “Ryouko-chan. I need to… apologize---“

“Shh. Don’t worry. I’ll tell her.”

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry. I’m so,  _so_ sorry. I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean it…” Kokichi muttered in a barely audible volume as his hands snaked on his head, pulling some strands of his hair, his voice sounding meek and broken, nothing at all like the Kokichi Kiibo knew. The roboticist shuffled uneasily. He politely made way and pointed the direction as the stranger helped his Kokichi to his room, and before the door closed, he heard the stranger speak in a soft voice, soothing and calm, yet so full of pain.

“We know, Kokichi. We know.”

 

* * *

 

 

**_He_ ** **’** _s back. Mom tells me to hide in the closet. There is a big one in our bedroom. I obey her. Because Mom knows best. I trust Mom. And I’m scared. **He**_ **’** _s yelling. I don’t understand what **he**_ **’s** _saying. But **he**_ **’** _s angry. **He**_ **’s** _always angry._

_A small bit of light filters inside my closet. I use the gap to peek out._

**_He_ ** _is painting. Mom’s skin is a canvas of red and blues and purples and blacks. She doesn’t resist. She never does. My chest tightens. I don’t know why. Mom is crying. **He**_ _pushes her to the bed and paints her white as well. White liquid. All over her legs. I want to vomit, but I hold it in. I don’t want **him** to hear me._

**_He_ ** _huffs. Looks around. Demands where I am. Mom doesn’t reply. **He**_ _complains… then leaves as usual. I hear the bang of the door. And then the rattling of the chains. Locked. Again._

_I open the closet. I walk over to Mom. She’s staring at the ceiling. I touch her shoulder. She flinches and slaps me. I frown._

_Mom isn’t here. She is yelling. Mom isn’t here. She holds my wrist so tight I cry. Mom isn’t here. She pulls at my hair, yells herself hoarse. Mom isn’t here._

_Mom snaps out of it. Her eyes widen, and she cries. She embraces me. “I’m sorry.” She says. “I’m so,_ so,  _sorry.”_

_I smile. Mom is here now. I show her my wrist. I am a canvas of red and blues and purples and blacks._

_“It’s okay.” I tell her. “We match.”_

 

* * *

 

 

Kokichi opened his eyes and immediately groaned, wincing at the harsh afternoon light filtering from the windows. Someone was caressing his hair, lovingly. The smell of coffee and peanut butter permeated the air. That was enough to make him feel… calm. There was no smell of rust and salt anywhere. No smell of rot. No smell of burning food in the pan that was kept on the stove for far too long. He was back in the present, and he was safe. He survived. He  _fucking_ survived.

It has been years, but to this day Kokichi wasn’t sure if he was happy about that.

He stirred, leaning close to the touch. Only one person plays with hair this way.  _Ran-chan._ He thought. His hair was now a lot shorter compared to back then, but Rantarou still loved playing with the tips, twirling it on his fingers. He hummed contentedly under his breath.

“Feeling better?” Rantarou asked.

Kokichi nodded. He opened his eyes again, letting it adjust to the light, seeing his older brother ( _you don’t deserve to be their brother, you fucking idiot)_ smile down on him. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking quite nostalgic. Kokichi supposed that makes sense. It’s been so long since Kokichi allowed him to touch him this way. So long since they were able to talk like this…

“Where’s Ryouko-chan…?” He asked ( _wow, you still had the gall to say her name, after the fucked up shit you’ve done?)_. He bit his tongue, hard, until he tasted iron in his mouth.  _Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up---_

“She already left. I told her to drive herself home.” Rantarou replied as he pursed his lips. “I’m… sorry for bringing her over.”

Kokichi shook his head as he stared at the ceiling. Little glow in the dark stars were plastered in his ceiling. He could never put those in his room back in the mansion, since the ceiling there was so fucking high. Just one guilty pleasure he let himself revel in since moving out. Every time he stared at the silly-looking pieces of yellow plastic, he was reminded of  _that_ night. The night he made his first friend underneath a blanket of stars. To this day, it still made him smile. To this day, it still calmed his inner demons.

“I’m sorry for acting like that. I’m such a jerk, huh?” he giggled, although his tone was self-depreciating.

“You can’t help it. I understand.” Rantarou simply replied, as he held his hand, squeezing it a little. “I made you some coffee. You don’t have to drink it if you don’t want to. I know you’d prefer to drink that Panta at this time of the day. I just wanted the smell to… you know.” He made a vague gesture with his hand. Kokichi understood. Rantarou really knew him like the back of his hand. “I also made some peanut and butter and jelly sandwiches. Are you still into that?”

“Always.” He said as he sat up, opening his mouth childishly. “Feed me, Ran-chan~!”

Rantarou chuckled as he took one of the sandwiches from the plate sitting on the bedside table, placing it on his mouth. Kokichi chewed enthusiastically. Rantarou was staring at him with an amused, almost relieved look on his face.

“What?” Kokichi prompted.

Rantarou shook his head. “Nothing. You just look so…” he trailed off.

“So…?” Kokichi asked as he leaned in and took another bite from the sandwich.

“… Peaceful? Composed?” Rantarou muttered, sounding slightly amazed. “You never bounce back  _that_ quickly before.”

Kokichi shrugged. “I’m working on it. When you’re on your own, you can’t afford to lose too much time.” He raised his hand and started counting fingers. “I’ve got work to do and rent to pay and people to annoy and groceries to buy---“

“I see.” Rantarou said, his smile turning into a bit of a frown, like he was slighted. “So… do you think moving out was good for you? The girls all miss you.  _I_ miss you. We’re all hoping that… you’d come back.”

The mere thought of meeting the girls again sent a chill down Kokichi’s spine. He could remember the cries, the yelling, blood dripping down the white tiled floor of the kitchen… he wanted to throw up. He missed them, too. God, he missed them. But he can’t.  _He can’t._ The thought of them being anywhere near him made his stomach turn. He realized his hands were shaking, just a little bit. Rantarou seemed to notice it.

“I’m sorry.” Rantarou murmured as he put his hand behind his head, smiling apologetically. “That was… selfish of us, isn’t it?”

 _Not at all._ He thought.  _I’m the one being selfish. I’m the one being unreasonable._ But he’d let Rantarou think what he wanted to think. He didn’t need to explain himself. He didn’t want to. The apartment was eerily silent as Rantarou simply watched him finish the sandwiches, the taste lingering on his tongue. He supposed Miu and Kiibo must have left for their classes by now. He was tempted to pull out his phone and stare at his wallpaper for the rest of the day, but he glanced over at the clock beside his bed and saw that it was already four in the afternoon.

“I have work at six.” Kokichi muttered, looking up at Rantarou with a questioning look. “You came here because you wanted to talk to me, right? You better start talking because I’m not in the habit of going to work late. Hoshi-chan would kill me.” He said, chuckling for a bit.

Rantarou frowned in disapproval. “Bartending? I meant to talk to you about it. Isn’t that bad for your health? I mean, Iidabashi-kun told me you’ve been doing that for like… five days a week. You always come home very, very late.”

Kokichi cocked his eyebrow. “I love my work. And I sleep well in the morning. It’s not like I have classes to attend anymore, Ran-chan.”

Rantarou winced. “About that…”

 _Here it comes._ Kokichi thought as he took the Panta Rantarou must have put in his bedside and drank it, the sweet grapey goodness coating his tongue. The small wound he just bit on his tongue stung… he reveled in that pain, thinking of the right words to turn down whatever Rantarou was about to say.

Rantarou sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Kokichi… the other day, a concerned professor called dad to inform us that you’ve applied for a dismissal. She knew you have…  _problems,_ since you suddenly stopped going to classes and took an extended leave of absence to top it all off, but you’re a brilliant kid, Kokichi. You can’t just drop out of college like that.”

Kokichi sighed heavily as he rolled his eyes. “It was Yukizome-sensei, wasn’t it?” Rantarou didn’t need to reply. The look he gave him was enough. Kokichi murmured under his breath. “Nosey bitch.”

“That’s not nice, Kokichi.”

Kokichi cackled as if this scolding was hilarious and endearing. “When am I ever nice,  _Amami-chan?”_

Rantarou put his hands on his hips and sighed heavily, looking vaguely irritated. “Kokichi, stop being so damn difficult. Dad was  _furious_ when he found out. I… tried not to tell him that you took a leave of absence, like you asked me to, so now he’s mad at me too. You know how he is. Come back to school, Kokichi. He’s not going to take no for an answer.”

“If he’s so worried about me, why didn’t he come here himself?” Kokichi tilted his head innocently. Rantarou sighed.

“He’s  _busy._ ”

Busy. He’s always busy. Too busy to deal with his children. And yet, he still found the time to worry about Kokichi. Because Kokichi was the problematic son. Sometimes he wondered if Rantarou resented him for all the attention he was being given.

“Who’s going to pay for it? My  _mom_?” Kokichi mocked.

Rantarou fell silent. Kokichi felt his mouth turn dry, wishing Rantarou would get the clue and change the subject. Usually mentioning his mother was enough to make Rantarou uncomfortable, make him remember that Kokichi wasn’t quite a part of the family. Kokichi liked reminding him of that fact, time and time again. But he remained calm as he answered. “Kokichi, you  _know_ the Rantarou family had more money than we can use in our lifetimes. Money isn’t the problem here.”

Kokichi shook his head, feeling the urge to cover his ears. “I already owe your family too many favors.” he hissed.

“You are part of this family!”

“No, I’m not! I’m your father’s charity case!” he yelled, suddenly grateful that his roommate was gone. The good-natured Kiibo didn’t need to hear the details of their absurdly complicated familial situation. “Why is he being so fucking pushy? He’s got thirteen  _biological_ children to worry about!”

“He  _loves_ you---“

“Well, he  _shouldn’t!_ I’m not my sister! I’m not my mom!” he said, genuinely irritated. “Why are you defending him? If he had time to worry about me, he should’ve spent it bonding with his actual children instead! He shouldn’t have wasted his time for---“ his voice broke a little bit. “--- for someone like  _me.”_

Rantarou smiled sadly. He reached his hand out, and Kokichi moved to avoid him, but he still managed to push a lock of his hair behind his ear. “It can’t be helped. You have your mother’s eyes.” He said, as if this was a fact he had resigned to himself a long time ago. “I met her once.”

Kokichi hesitated. “You did?”

“Yes. Before the mess happened. She was kind… and caring.” Rantarou said, as he bit his lip. “I was too young to understand everything, but I do know one thing. Dad loved her from the bottom of his heart, and he still blames himself for everything that happened. It was  _wrong,_ but it was love. You didn’t deserve the things that happened to you, Kokichi. You deserve better… and I understand his sentiment. You deserve the  _world._ ”

 _I don’t._ Kokichi took a shaky breath.  _I fucking don’t._ But he didn’t want to get into that old argument, no--- they have been in this road far too many times before. Instead, he decided to go back at the issue at hand. “Studying is troublesome.” he muttered stubbornly. “It gets in the way of my work.” A lie. He knew Ryoma would gladly give him better shifts if he asked. He was the one who insists on working all night, because he wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway. He’d be too worried about the nightmares. Getting back home sleepy and tired helps.

“Be honest with me.” Rantarou started, and Kokichi almost wanted to laugh. Honesty? What’s that? “Are you dropping out because you want to, or just because you feel like you need to?”

Kokichi’s mouth went dry. “What do you mean?”

“Personally, I don’t think self-harm is limited to physical harm. To me it sounds more like you’re punishing yourself… again.”

 _So what? I deserve it._ Kokichi bit back that comment. He knew it won’t go well. He felt the sting of his tongue again as he grazed it forcefully against his teeth. The burst of iron in his tongue… He frowned at Rantarou. “I’m clean. I’ve never cut in my life.”  _Not with a razor blade, anyway._ “And you’re not a psych major.” He pointed out.

Rantarou shrugged. “I guess not, but I know you well enough, yeah?”

Kokichi looked away.

“I heard that you’re helping out Iruma-san and Iidabashi-kun with their projects. You  _adore_ it. You have a talent for it, even. I still remember that stunt you pulled off with Iruma-san back in the hospital.”

Kokichi stifled a smile. It was a fond memory, and he didn’t get much of those. It was shortly after he met Miu. They hung out in her room a lot back then, because when you’re confined, there really wasn’t much to do. Kokichi smuggled the tools she was begging to have (for some reason she felt more inclined to invent after waking up from her coma, and Kokichi indulged her even if the nurses were displeased) and that day they decided to use parts of Rantarou’s old remote controlled car and Miu’s cellphone to create some kind of motor to attach on her wheelchair. They had a lot of giggles as they released their contraption out into the wild, using the cellphone camera to capture the horrified reactions of doctors and nurses alike when they saw a lone wheelchair moving by itself in the middle of the hallway. It was one of the best pranks ever.

“Iidabashi-kun told me about Miibo, too.” Rantarou continued.“He’s really well-made.”

A burst of pride blossomed in his heart, settling in his gut, but he squashed it under his foot. The thought made him feel sick.

“What’s your fucking point?” Kokichi glowered. Rantarou crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“My point is… you  _want_ to study. Let Dad help.”

“No.”

Now Rantarou looked irritated. “Amami Kokichi!”

Kokichi winced. This will just prove Rantarou’s point but… he wanted to correct him so badly. “I go by Ouma these days.”

Rantarou’s expression went through five stages after that statement. First surprise, then confusion, realization, horror, and finally, disapproval. Kokichi shifted uneasily, glancing down at his fingers as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Rantarou cursed under his breath.

“I  _knew_ Ouma sounded fucking familiar. Kokichi, are you out of your mind?”

 _Sometimes._ Kokichi thought, lips twitching at his silent attempt at humoring the periods of dissociation he sometimes lives through. Just another side effect of his colorful childhood. “It’s my name. I’m just taking it back.”

Rantarou glowered at him. “No.”

“I don’t belong in your family, Ran-chan.” He muttered. “I am thankful and all, but in the endI don’t fit in. I mean, just look at my hair color! Plum-colored hair in the sea of your light greens.”

Kokichi knew Rantarou knows that it wasn’t about the hair color at all. Nor was it about not fitting in. Kokichi expected him to look even more frustrated, but instead his eyes softened as he reached over and pulled him into a hug. Kokichi blinked in surprise, but he felt himself melt in his embrace. He resented the part of him that loved this moment, being comforted like this. “Kokichi… you know nobody blames you for what happened right?” Rantarou whispered.

 _I already blame myself enough times._ Kokichi thought, but he nodded.

“You don’t need to do this to yourself. It wasn’t your fault. None of it is.”

Kokichi bit his lip. He felt the sudden urge to scratch at his arms, ripping the skin apart and letting himself bleed all over the bed. Bleed all the impurities away. “I’m still my father’s son.” He muttered. His voice was cold, unfeeling. _His blood flows inside me._

“No.” Rantarou muttered, sounding pained. “No you’re not.”

Silence. Silence that felt like hours. Suddenly Rantarou stilled and hesitated, as if there was something on his mind that was bothering him. “It was you.” He finally said.

Kokichi cocked an eyebrow and glanced up. Rantarou looked troubled, uneasy. “You… slept with Momota-kun?”

 _Oh. That._ Kokichi flushed, burying his face in Rantarou’s chest to hide it. He remembered last night vividly, Kaito kissing him passionately in the middle of the dance floor them walking over to his room, the moans and grunts, sinking inside him, coming apart, waking up to his cute sleeping face… Kokichi knew he should’ve just avoided him like the plague. That was the _smart_ choice. But he missed him. He missed him  _so_ much. Through all this mess he had completely forgotten that Kaito  was apparently a close friend of Rantarou’s now.  _What a small world._

“I thought you were with Iruma-san.” Rantarou continued.

 _Ah. So that’s why he was so bothered._ Kokichi laughed. “Ran-chan, as if I didn’t already know from our family history that cheating never ends well. We broke up. About five, six months ago?”

Now Rantarou looked even more troubled. “Really? What happened? I thought the two of you were going well.”

Kokichi brushed it off. “Not important.”  Rantarou didn’t know the specifics of his relationship with Miu. Well, it was more like a deal between friends than an actual romantic relationship. It was something Miu needed at the time: security in companionship. Kokichi was more than happy to provide. There was a reason he didn’t cut off contact with her when he ran away--- sure he was a fuck up, but he wasn’t  _cruel_. Not to his best friend, anyway. Not that he’d ever admit Miu was his best friend--- the whore didn’t need to get her ego to get any larger. If anything, he was happy that Miu finally realized he wasn’t going to leave her, so much so that she finally decided she didn’t need the pretense of a relationship anymore.

Rantarou was frowning, but he didn’t press for more information. Kokichi supposed he figured that if Miu was still acting normal around Kokichi, then that must mean the break-up wasn’t messy in the slightest. “I can’t believe it.” he finally muttered as he ran his fingers through his hair in disbelief. “My little brother slept with one of my best friends. That’s…” he trailed off. “… slightly weird.”

Kokichi couldn’t help but scoff, unable to stop his retort. “Now I know how I felt when I found out you were banging Kiyo-chan behind my back.”

Rantarou only looked amused. “Well, I gotta say… he’s a good fuck.”

“Gross! I don’t wanna hear about it!” Kokichi whined childishly, covering his ears.

“That being said, your roommate is kinda cute too.”

Now Kokichi was horrified. “Seriously? Even Iidabashi-chan?! Give me a break, you fucking playboy!”

“I’m not a playboy!” Rantarou replied, looking wounded. “I take my relationships very seriously!”

Kokichi cocked an eyebrow. “Checking out my roommate while dating Kiyo-chan?”

“Hey, Polyamorous relationships exist. Kiyo wouldn’t mind. And I will  _not_ be slut-shamed.” Rantarou replied, but he was already smiling. It was obvious he missed bantering with Kokichi. And if Kokichi had to admit, he kinda missed it too.

“So what are you planning to do about Momota-kun?” Rantarou asked. Kokichi’s smile vanished.

“What kind of question is that? It was a one night stand, Ran-chan. Nothing more, nothing less. He’s probably relieved I’m not bothering him.”

“I don’t know about that.” Rantarou replied with a knowing smile. Kokichi gave him a look. What does  _he_ know? Did Kaito talk about him much? Did Kaito actually… want him to call? Kokichi’s hands itched to take his phone, but he knew it was no use. He already deleted his contact number anyways. He remembered Kaito’s response when he mentioned regretting the night they had:  _I really wish you wouldn’t._ He bit his lip. Rantarou narrowed his eyes a little bit, contemplating, and Kokichi can almost see the gears turning in his head.

“You’re… weird about him.” It was a statement, an observation. “Scratch that, one night stands aren’t even your thing. You’re too cautious to even consider spending the night with a stranger.”

Kokichi felt a bit of panic unsettle him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ran-chan. Maybe I already changed a bit, you know?” he grinned.

“Maybe…” Rantarou muttered, but Kokichi knew that look. He wasn’t about to let it go. His eyes looked up at the plastic stars above, and for a moment Kokichi was genuinely scared he’d put two and two together. But finally, he sighed. “Okay, if you say so.”

Kokichi glanced at the clock, sighing in relief when he saw it was nearly five in the afternoon. That was his cue. “I need to get going. Take a shower and all, you know? Hoshi-chan doesn’t appreciate tardiness.”

Rantarou nodded. “Okay. I’ll drive you.” He offered. Kokichi nodded as he stood up, taking his phone with him (god help him if Rantarou saw his wallpaper and realize how creepy he’s being) as he opened his closet, taking out his uniform. He glanced back at his checkered vest, remembering how Tsumugi beamed in delight when she made it for him to wear at the party. “Checkered looks  _phenomenal_ on you, Kokichi-kun.” she had said. Kokichi had to admit, he kinda liked it. He wished he could wear this outfit at the bar every day, but oh well, he needs to be back in his  _boring_ black and white uniform. _Can’t be helped._

As he hummed under his breath and skipped towards the bathroom, he heard Rantarou call out behind him. “Kokichi.”

“Hm?” he looked back with an innocent smile.

“Please consider what I just told you. You know… about the whole college thing.” He muttered, fiddling his thumbs. “And about the girls---“

Kokichi tensed.

“You can’t run from them forever.”

Kokichi looked offended. “That was the plan.”

Rantarou frowned in disapproval. “I’ll help you. We’ll take baby steps. I can arrange meet-ups somewhere else, somewhere you can relax. An open space, like a park or the sea. One girl at a time.” He proposed. Kokichi felt his tongue scraping against his teeth again.

“Ran-chan, you know I won’t feel better unless you tie me up head to toe in these meet-ups.”

Rantarou looked disturbed. “Do we need to do that?”

This time Kokichi burst into laughter. “Who do you take me for? I’m not mIU-chan.”

Now, Rantarou looked faintly amused. “Hey, you’re the one who offered the idea. I’m sure Kiyo would be more than willing to take an appointment.”

Kokichi shook his head as he stifled the laughter out. As soon as he did, he felt a small feeling of fondness and nostalgia creep up at him, at the thought of seeing the girls again… “I’ll think about it.” he shrugged.

Rantarou’s eyes sparkled, hope brimming at the edges. That was more than he could ever hope for. Kokichi felt his heart ache, hoping that whatever this proposal entails would not end up as another disappointment.

 _The impossible is possible. All you gotta do is make it so._ Kokichi remembered. It was something Kaito said, so long ago. He wished things were as easy as he made it sound to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I share Ouma’s sentiment. Their familial situation is complicated; I don’t know what I was smoking when I decided on it. But hopefully this conversation answers a bit of your questions.
> 
> THIS IS A COLLEGE AU BUT WE ACTUALLY NEEDED TO GET OUMA INTO THE FUCKING COLLEGE--- 
> 
> Ouma is a good friend and Iruma has abandonment issues. Oh, and she was in a coma too, at one point. If you’re curious about where the hell this all came from, see Iruma’s FTEs and Love Hotel event. She’s my baby girl. XD SOME OUMIU AYEEE
> 
> Good ole RKK (Rantarou/Kiibo/Korekiyo)? Hell yeah. Don’t say I didn’t warn you guys about the rarepairs.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kokichi makes a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back! Sorry for the delay, this chapter was a little hard for me to write. Next chapter of FBTG is coming out soon, watch out!
> 
> From this point on I will start referring to people with their given names rather than their last name. Because while I prefer referring to them by their last names (as seen in my other fics), I realize I might run into problems in the future. Family and names are a bit of a big deal in this story, after all. I already edited the first four chapters and changed them into this style. I also changed some nicknames and honorifics (Example: Ouma now calls Iruma “Miu-chan” rather than Iruma-chan) to give more emphasis on character relationships. 
> 
> People who know Ouma from before he ran away tend to call him “Kokichi” even if they’re not very close. This is because they either (1) know Amami as well or (2) were told by Ouma to call him that, because he never really liked the Amami family name. 
> 
> Also, Iruma and Ouma have quite a long history in this AU. Get used to the (mostly) platonic Oumiu. At this point I hope I made it clear that this story isn’t exactly linear--- a lot of things have happened in the past, things that still affect the characters today. So we’ll be having rides to memory lane every now and then. 
> 
> So without further ado, Let’s continue! :D

_ There she was. A little bundle of nerves and anxiety. Eyes flitting about everywhere… nervously. She looked so small, even smaller than Ryouko, which was interesting. Wasn’t she—  _ he,  _ Rantarou reminded himself —- older than Ryouko? Yes, he was. And yet he looked so small. So meek. So… powerless. _

_ His eyes found his, and those lilac orbs blinked, as he took a step back, looking like he wanted to disappear into the closet. He probably would have shut the closet door on himself, if it wasn’t already broken off at the hinges. “H-Hello.” He murmured, his voice a mere whisper. _

_ “Hello.” Rantarou echoed, unsure. _

_ “Y-You look like that man…” the boy said as he fiddled with his hair in what seems to be a nervous habit. “Y-You’re taking m-me? W-Why? I-I… I’m sorry…” he stared at his hands, eyes widened in panic as if those fragile fingers were horrifying, dry sobs wracking through his body. “I-I’m sorry… I didn’t mean it… I-I… didn’t…” _

_ Rantarou stared at the boy’s hands, before glancing back at the door. He remembered the look of distress on his father’s face.  _ Please help us get him out,  _ he said. It was the first time in a long while his father had bothered to look at him in the face, the first time in a long while that he remembered Rantarou existed. All for this boy… Twelve-year-old Rantarou had felt envy, even a bit of resentment, at how lucky the boy was. But the moment he saw him, all those thoughts went out the window. Because this little boy, younger than him by only three years, wasn’t lucky at all. _

_ Rantarou smiled. “I’m Amami Rantarou. That was my dad.” He explained, as he took a step closer. The boy gasped and took a step back, looking downright terrified. Rantarou felt uneasiness creep inside his heart. “I’m not going to hurt you.” he assured him. “The people outside, they’re not going to hurt you either. They just want to help you.” _

_ “H-Help?” the boy croaked. He was pulling at his hair again. “I-I don’t understand… are they going to put me in jail? B-Because… I’m a bad kid…” _

_ Rantarou frowned, as his eyes trailed on the bruises littered on the little boy’s skin. “You’re not a bad kid.” He murmured. _

_ The boy  _ laughed.  _ “Liar… liar…” he said as he curled up in a ball. “L-Liar… liar…” _

_ Rantarou knelt close to him, feeling pity fill his heart. “Kokichi-kun…” he murmured. That was his name right? Ouma Kokichi, soon to be Amami Kokichi, from what he could gather. But the boy looked up with confusion in his eyes, eyes wide and wondering. _

_ “K-Kokichi?” he asked, evidently mystified. “Who’s that?” _

 

* * *

 

 

“Who’s that?”

Kokichi immediately turned his phone off to sleep mode, giving Miu a look that could only be recognized as pure boredom. She was raising an eyebrow at him, evidently curious of the nature of his wallpaper, which until now, weeks later, he still couldn’t bring himself to change. The picture of Kaito kissing his cheek still turned Kokichi into a giddy teenager, something he wasn’t very proud of.

“Who’s what?” he asked, innocently. Miu scowled.

“That purple goatee fuck in your wallpaper, dumbass. That shit’s been bothering the crap outta me. Who the hell— _ hey!  _ D-Don’t ignore me!” Even as she said that, Kokichi was already walking away, making the blonde inventor curse and sputter. Kokichi couldn’t help but wonder what about him keeps Miu around, if he’ll be honest—his quips and insults were no less than crass, and while Miu seems to get off on it (which gets weird, sometimes), surely she could see that he was nothing but trouble? Why is she always so supportive of him? Still, he was grateful that she was around. Very, very grateful. Just as he was grateful that Rantarou never gives up on him. Very, very grateful…  _ I don’t deserve these people,  _ he thought as he sighed.

And then there’s the whole thing with Kaito.  _ Arghhh… why do I have to fucking sleep with him of all people?! Bad Kokichi. Bad.  _ Well, maybe that was for the best.  _ At least  _ he had a good time and… memories he can take to the grave with him along with this stupid,  _ stupid  _ unrequited love he’s been keeping inside him for years. Hell, Kaito didn’t even recognize him.  _ Of course he won’t. If he did, that would be weird.  _ He took a deep breath. For now, he needed to take care of that shit. He’s planning to avoid Momota anyway. For good. No more looking, no more pining, no more creepy wallpapers….

He took out of his phone and stared at the wallpaper again, feeling his heart melt— _ No! ARGHHH!  _ He couldn’t bring himself to change it or delete it. Fuck it. He could at least let himself keep the picture right?  _ Fuck my life.  _ He sighed as he tapped the messenger icon, taking out his phone and poking his inner cheek with his tongue before finally typing.

 

**_User_ ** _ (12:34 P.M.): Ran-chan,If you tell Momota-chan about me, I’ll cut off your balls. _

 

He stared at the message and pressed send. Kokichi put the phone back in his pocket, glancing back at Miu who’s giving him a weird look.

“You’re blushing like a virgin on his first lay.” She commented.

Kokichi cocked an eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure I remember  _ you _ were the one who was blushing to the roots of your hair, Miu-chan.”

“T-That’s beside the point!” she said as she started fiddling anxiously with her hair, sweating a little. Kokichi felt the phone on his pocket buzz. He pulled it out and checked it.

 

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (12:37 P.M.): language, Kokichi. _

 

Kokichi stifled a smile as he replied.

 

**_User_ ** _ (12:37 P.M.): i’m serious! D:< _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (12:38 P.M.): u want me to lie to one of my best friends? _

**_User_ ** _ (12:38 P.M.): no, you just omit it _

**_User_ ** _ (12:38 P.M.): pleeeeeaaassseee??? Pretty please??? _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (12:39 P.M.): ugh fine. but u owe me _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (12:39 P.M.): btw have u decided if u wanna go back to school yet? _

 

As soon as that question was asked, Kokichi’s smile faded, and he bit his lip as he played with his phone on his fingers anxiously. Miu was silent for a while, as if sensing his mood, but when they finally arrived at the café, her mood changed immediately. She hollered when she saw Korekiyo sitting on one of the tables, catching the attention of some of the customers.

“Shitguuji!” She grinned, evidently proud of her witty (and vulgar) nickname. Kokichi could remember the time when she was still a young girl in the hospital bed, meek and shy like the sheltered princess that she was—and he had to admit it was possibly his influence that they both grew up to be egocentric, potty-mouthed jackasses— but as usual, Korekiyo seemed not to mind. He smiled when they approached (Kokichi could tell from the crinkles on the side of his eyes, as well as the faint shifting of that eerie mask— that mask has a story, but that would be for another time) as he set down the book he was reading and half-raised his hand to greet them.

“Greetings, Miu-san, Kokichi-kun. It’s been a while hasn’t it? I believe it’s been a year and a half at least…” he said as he gave Kokichi a look that was bordering on stern. Kokichi merely shrugged as he took a seat. “I cannot believe I was left out of the loop when you ran away, Kokichi-kun. I have to admit I was a little… offended.”

Kokichi smiled cheerfully. “You’re a spy from the enemy, Kiyo-chan!” he accused with as he pointed a finger gun at him, childishly. Truth be told, he simply didn’t want Korekiyo’s relationship with his brother ( _ you don’t deserve to be his brother shut up shut up shut up)  _ to get strained from his disappearance, so he decided it was better that Korekiyo genuinely doesn’t know about his whereabouts. Rantarou looked so happy when they’re together, he couldn’t take that away from him too.

Miu called over the waitress and started barking her orders. As soon as she finished, she leaned towards Korekiyo with an indignant look. “Hey, Shitguuji! Tell your boyfriend he owes me shit for babysitting his sister the other day! They ruined my beauty sleep!”

“I’ll have this, and this and this…” Kokichi told the waitress who blinked and seemed a little overwhelmed by how much food a person with such short stature as him was planning to eat. But oh well, he’s going to make Korekiyo pay for it anyway. “Oh, and Miu-chan ordered french toast, right? Please don’t bring  _ any  _ bread knives in this table… is that possible? Thank you~!” The waitress left with a confused look on her face, evidently bothered by his odd request.

Korekiyo sighed. “My beloved owes you no such favors, Miu-san—”

Kokichi turned his attention back to the conversation just in time to make a gagging noise.

“— and I would rather you not call me by such a detestable nickname. Please, call me Kiyo.”

Kokichi suddenly grinned and put a hand on his chest. “Please call me Ouma!”

“ _ No _ .” The two snapped in unison.

Kokichi shrugged, staring at his fingernails, looking bored. “See? Life ain’t easy, Kiyo-chan. So Miu-chan can call you however the fuck she wants.”

Korekiyo sighed. “There truly isn’t much I could do, is there?”

Kokichi grinned. “If I have to deal with Cuckichi, you bet you’re going to deal with Shitguuji!”

Miu looked pleased with herself. “Fuck yeah!”

“And Iruma-chan has to deal with  _ pathetic bitch ass whore _ .”

Miu immediately digressed into a mess of sputters. “W-What? That was uncalled for!”

That was the trigger. From there on the two of them started exchanging insults one after another, as if it was some sort of contest to see who can  _ roast  _ the other person better. Of course, as expected, Kokichi would always win, as Miu was actually rather timid and sensitive inside ( _ the shy and meek sheltered princess is still inside there, somewhere.  _ Kokichi figured.) but he had to give the girl credit for trying her best.

Suddenly, Korekiyo chuckled. It was still that weird  _ kukuku _ that Kokichi couldn’t really complain about ( _ nishishi  _ isn't any better), and when he stared at them, his eyes were sparkling in fondness.  _ Ugh, gross.  _ Kokichi shuddered.  _ Ran-chan isn’t rubbing off on him, is he? God, I hope not. _

“I see you two haven’t changed much.” Korekiyo commented, just after one of Kokichi’s degrading insults transformed Miu into a flustered mess. “How has your lives been? I heard the two of you even broke up?”

_ Ah, the breakup.  _ Of course Korekiyo would be intrigued, being the person who watched them grow close and all. Thinking about it now, Kokichi never really felt any romantic attachment to Miu, his heart was for one person and one person alone ( _ you just can never let him go, could you? God, you’re so pathetic) _ but all in all his relationship with Miu had been… nice. He assumed that’s how Miu felt too, she couldn’t possibly fall in love with a piece of shit like him, could she? Though they did keep that strange agreement to marry if they’re still single by the time they reach forty ( _ I don’t want to be a crazy cat lady! You gotta save me, shitty shota!  _ Insecure Miu had said, to which he could only roll his eyes.). Kokichi had a feeling that there’s something more to that agreement than meets the eye, honestly. To him it sounds more like an excuse for Miu to  _ not  _ allow him to change back his surname legally as he intended to before. She kept complaining that  _ Ouma Miu  _ doesn’t quite roll off the tongue as well as  _ Amami Miu  _ does.

Miu cares in strange ways. He still didn’t understand why she keeps hanging out around someone like him.

Korekiyo was staring at them expectantly, waiting for an explanation. Kokichi giggled. “Iruma-chan was just soooo possessive, I had to tell her I need some space. So I told her ‘ _ My love, it’s not you, it’s me. We need a break from each other. _ ’” Kokichi replied dramatically, looking dejected, before his lips turned into a huge grin. “Then I broke her heart!”

“S-Stop telling lies, shitty shota!” Miu argued as she nervously played with a lock of her hair. “ _ I  _ was the one who broke up with your pathetic ass!  You should be thanking this gorgeous girl genius that I gave you my time of the day! People are falling over on their knees just to get a piece of this smoking hot bod of mine—“

“Who was it who couldn’t find a fuck in Ran-chan’s birthday party? Oh right— it  _ wasn’t _ me!” Kokichi cackled, before he muttered in falsetto, impersonating what Miu said. “ _ Why won’t those virgins fuck me? Am I ugly, Cuckichi?” _

“You vicious little”

Just in time, their orders came out, this time brought to them by a different waitress. And it was just Kokichi’s luck that they probably forgot his request, because as soon as the waitress placed down Iruma’s order, he saw  _ it,  _ he couldn’t look away, he placed his hand on his mouth, feeling  _ sick— _

**_“Fuck you! You’re fighting me now, huh?! You think you’re hot shit, you little freak—“_ **

Dutifully, Miu suddenly snatched the bread knife out of his line of sight, and he could breathe again. Everything was slightly blurry. His heart was pounding on his ears. Miu was saying something to the waitress with a stern, serious voice, and the waitress apologized immediately, saying that it won’t happen again.

Their table was silent when the waitress left. It took Ouma all of five minutes to calm his racing heartbeat, and when he perked up again and smiled, neither of his two companions mentioned the meltdown he just had. They just continued the conversation as usual, this time talking about their plans for Miu’s birthday that was coming up (they  _ always  _ had plans, Miu hated being left alone on that particular day, just as she hated driving on that particular day) and Kokichi was reminded on how fucking  _ glad  _ and  _ grateful  _ and  _ lucky  _ he was to have these people around him, and how much he fucking  _ didn’t deserve any of them. _

“Thank you.” he said as genuinely as he could when they parted ways. Korekiyo made a small fond smile. Miu flushed in embarrassment. They understood. That was all that mattered.

Kokichi stared back down at his phone, at the wallpaper. He opened up his notepad and started typing:  _ Why am I here instead of you?  _ He stared at it for a long moment, before he pressed the home button and went straight back to the messenger app. There, Amami’s message blinked back at him, unanswered.

 

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (12:39 P.M.): btw have u decided if u wanna go back to school yet? _

You are typing…

**_User_ ** _ (4:56 P.M.): not yet _

 

* * *

 

**_User_ ** _ (8:12 A.M.): Stop hanging out around my apartment! This is trespassing! A breach of privacy! I’ll sue you! D:< _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (8:16 A.M.): it wasnt trespassing _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (8:16 A.M.): Kiibo-kun let me in _

**_User_ ** _ (8:17 A.M.): Stop being chummy with my beloved Iidabashi-chan! he’s too sweet and innocent for a freak like you! Waaaaaaaaaahyoure tainting him _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (8:17 A.M.): Excuse me?!? _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (8:18 A.M.): I am not _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (8:18 A.M.): I mean he’s cute but _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (8:19 A.M.): I’m not even making a move on him. we’re friends. _

**_User_ ** _ (8:20 A.M.): oh? Interesting. >:D I didn’t know you were a chicken _

**_User_ ** _ (8:20 A.M.): [chicken.png] _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (8:21 A.M.): at this point I don’t even know if you want me to make a move or him or not -_- _

**_User_ ** _ (8:22 A.M.): nishishi _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (8:22 A.M.): I cant believe you just typed your signature laugh _

**_User_ ** _ (8:22 A.M.): >:D BELIEVE IT! _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (8:22 A.M.): whatever btw did u decide yet?  _

**_User_ ** _ (8:23 A.M.): I don’t know what youre talking about _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (8:24 A.M.): -_- _

 

“I think it’s a really wonderful idea! Coming back to school, that is! I’m certain Kokichi-kun has a talent brimming with hope, and going back will help you realize your true potential! Kokichi-kun, you should say yes!”

Kokichi sighed as he put his phone back in his pocket, fiddling uneasily with the checkered scarf he has pulled on in a haste to get out of the house. It’s good that he wore it, he supposed, it was already October, and the air has gotten quite chilly.

“I don’t know, Komaeda-chan.” He said, honestly, as he picked lint off his clothes. “After what happened, it just feels so wrong to keep leaching off Amami-san. I’m already a legal adult. I  _ want  _ to feed myself. Besides, I imagine someone like you can understand how I feel about this kind of thing.”

Komaeda Nagito looked thoughtful as he considered it. He hesitated. “Even if you think you’re worthless… even if you think you’re a piece of scum, it doesn’t mean that others see you the same way. To yourself you may be trash, but to others you could be a treasure.”

Kokichi blinked, staring at Nagito in surprise. Nagito looked extremely uncomfortable. Finally, Kokichi groaned. “Well, fuck. I didn’t know I’ve gotten so low that Komaeda ‘I’m worthless scum’ Nagito would be cheering me up.”

Nagito laughed nervously as he started clawing at his elbows, looking away. “I’m sorry for acting so presumptuous. It’s unbecoming of me, isn’t it? It’s just that… that’s what Gekkogahara-san told me the last time we met, and the thought that others could possibly see me as  _ anything  _ other than a wretched piece of detritus was so unspeakably  _ hopeful _ that I just—“

“Geez, Komaeda-chan! There you go again. You’re wasting your therapist’s hard work every time you regress you know.” Kokichi said with a bored look, staring at his fingernails. “Besides, who even says ‘wretched piece of detritus’ anymore?!” Nagito looked like he was about to say something, but the sound of the bell and the children cheering distracted them both.  _ Finally, some action.  _ Kokichi stifled a smile as he watched the kids flood out into the courtyard to play, already finished with their subjects for today. They were led by a guy with spiky brown hair and hazel eyes( _ I haven’t seen him around before.  _ Kokichi thought.), looking a little exasperated as the kids went off on their own. When the guy saw them, his eyes lit up as he smiled eagerly.

“Komaeda! You’re here today, huh?—- ugh, wait, no, not my tie— “ he said as a kid pulled at his tie, giggling childishly. He gave the kid a stern look. “Move along now, I’m talking to someone.” The kid pouted but did as he was told, and the guy followed him with his eyes as he left, fondness in his expression, before putting his attention back at the pair and clearing his throat. “Uhh, yeah. The kids are a bit of a handful today, I guess.” He glanced at Kokichi. “This is…?”

Nagito’s eyes lit up. “Ah, this is Amami Kokichi-kun.” Kokichi cringed.  _ Stop calling me that, please.  _ “He’s from this orphanage, he visits from time to time to help, although he hasn’t been around lately.” He then motioned to the spiky haired guy. “Kokichi-kun, this is Hinata Hajime-kun. He’s a good friend of Naegi-san, and he’s been working here as a teacher since two weeks ago.”

Hajime made a bright smile as he held his hand out. “Nice to meet you, Amami!”

Kokichi made an innocent smile as he shook Hajime’s hand, so forcefully it made Hajime blink in surprise. “I go by Ouma Kokichi these days. Nice to meet you, Hinata-chan!”

“Hinata-chan…” Hajime gave Nagito a questioning look. Nagito simply shrugged.

“So yeah! How can I help you today?” Kokichi said as he placed a finger on his cheek. “I’m all yours! I’m free until six tonight.”

Hajime made a small smile. “Well, we  _ may  _ need some help in the kitchen since Nanami took the day off today…”

“Boo! Rejected.” Kokichi suddenly said as he covered his ears. “Kitchen work is  _ soooo  _ boring! I’d rather play with these obnoxious little brats than touch slimy, gross, raw food! Yuck!” Hajime looked taken aback, murmuring something under his breath, but Nagito simply sighed patiently.

“Don’t worry, Hinata-kun.” Nagito assured him. “He actually gets along well with the kids.”

“I bet he does, since he acts like a kid himself.” Hajime mumbled. “Anyway. Komaeda, Naegi wants to talk to you about the… Warriors of Hope? What’s that about?”

Nagito blinked, looking vaguely concerned. “It’s a game they play. Nagisa-kun, Masaru-kun, Jataro-kun and Kotoko-chan…” He easily replied. “Did they cause any trouble?”

Hajime pursed his lips as he glanced at Kokichi, as if this was a topic he’d rather not let him hear. Kokichi took out his phone and fiddled with it, acting as if he wasn’t listening. “Well, not exactly trouble…” he said, his voice lowering in a hushed tone. “It’s just that... during story time I read the word ‘gentle’… and Kotoko-chan started freaking out…. she still hasn’t calmed down. She’s in the clinic with Tsumiki.”

_ Obviously a trigger.  _ Kokichi thought, feeling pity for the poor child. He knew a lot of things about triggers, having a few himself. It wasn’t unusual for this orphanage to get these kind of cases, really. So he supposed she’s at least in good hands, whoever ‘Kotoko-chan’ is. Nagito simply nodded as they continued to talk in hushed tones. Kokichi let his attention wander. There, in the corner, a couple of familiar kids started pushing each other, as if trying to dare the other ones to approach him. Finally, a girl did. She had intelligent, bright blue eyes, and long brown hair that was tied as a braid down her side. Kinda cute, really. Kokichi grinned.

“Ace-chan! I haven’t seen you in a while.” He greeted.

The girl grinned widely, evidently thrilled to be remembered and called by such a familiar nickname. Her real name was Asahi Mika, if Kokichi remembered correctly. He reached down and pat her hair affectionately.

“You’re wearing the scarf.” She said, eagerly.

Kokichi blinked, staring down at the checkered scarf tied around his neck, a smile gracing his face as he remembered the significance of it. “Yeah, I suppose I am!”

“Are we going to play ‘secret evil organization’ today?”

The air was instantly filled with “Please Kokichi-nii-san”s, pleading eyes looking up at him from the nine kids that are now tugging at his clothes. He played coy at first, making a thinking look and humming as if he was trouble deciding but finally he relented, placing his hands on his hips. “Okay then! But if we’re going to play, where are your uniforms?! Where’s my mask?!” He pouted childishly and the group giggled, pushing and shrieking and yelling at each other to get a move on. As soon as they all had a mask in tow, Kokichi grinned. “Well, then, my followers! Who are we?”

“DICE!” the kids chanted in unison.

“What is our motto?”

“HAVE FUN!”

“And…?”

“DON’T HURT ANYONE!”

Kokichi felt a genuine smile graze his face as he leaned down and regarded them all. “Well, then… go crazy!”

The group started giggling and laughing as they all started to run off in different directions, playing with pretend walkie-talkies and making battle plans as Kokichi surveyed them, nodding approvingly as they planned for their “pranks”, which are really just harmless games they play on their fellow kids and the staff. When he glanced back at Hajime (Nagito left earlier, presumably to check on Kotoko), the teacher looked almost impressed, as he saw the kids play their hearts out.

“Those were the timid kids back in class. I’ve never even seen them smile before.” Hajime commented, amazed.

“Nishishi. Well, they always  _ do  _ smile for their Supreme Leader.” Kokichi replied, pleased with himself. “I should stop by more often.” Hajime stared at him, before he replied.

“Yeah… you should.”

 

* * *

 

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (8:19 A.M.): -_- _

You are typing…

**_User_ ** _ (5:29 P.M.): not yet _

 

* * *

 

**_User_ ** _ (12:01 A.M.): HAAAAAPPPPPYYYYYY BIIIRRRRRTTTHHHHHDDDAAAYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIDDAAAABBBAAASSSHIIII-CHAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNN!!!!!!!!! <3 _

**_User_ ** _ (12:01 A.M.): happy birthday to you! _

**_User_ ** _ (12:01 A.M.): happy birthday to you! _

**_User_ ** _ (12:01 A.M.): happy birthday _

**_User_ ** _ (12:01 A.M.): happy birthday _

**_User_ ** _ (12:02 A.M.): happy birthday to you! _

**_User_ ** _ (12:02 A.M.): happy birthday to you! _

**_User_ ** _ (12:02 A.M.): you belong to the zoo! _

**_User_ ** _ (12:02 A.M.): like the monkey like the donkey _

**_User_ ** _ (12:02 A.M.): the gorilla is you! _

**_User_ ** _ (12:02 A.M.): oh wait that’s wrong you’re a robot freak. That’s very insulting to the gorillas :’( _

**_Iidabashi-chan_ ** _ (12:03 A.M.): Ouma-kun, please tell me why you’re barraging my phone with messages at twelve in the morning? Aren’t you at work? _

**_Iidabashi-chan_ ** _ (12:03 A.M.): and what happened to my ringtone _

**_Iidabashi-chan_ ** _ (12:03 A.M.): it sounds like my phone is dying _

**_User_ ** _ (12:04 A.M.): It’s your birthday! I gotta annoy you like hell! :D _

**_Iidabashi-chan_ ** _ (12:04A.M.): how do I stop this? Please change this back! It’s so loud! The neighbors will complain! _

**_User_ ** _ (12:05 A.M.): What if I don’t want to~? _

**_Iidabashi-chan_ ** _ (12:05A.M.): Ouma-kun! D:< _

 

_ Iidabashi-chan is calling you… _

 

Kokichi snickered as he turned off his phone. No doubt Kiibo would give him an earful when he gets back home. The door to the back room opened, and Tenko peered her head in, staring at him distastefully. “Hey, degenerate! You’re needed at the bar! Break’s over, it’s a busy night!”

“Fine, fine, don’t get your panties in a twist, Chabashira-chan.” Kokichi said as he pulled his hair into a small ponytail, his fingers lingering at the tips…  _ Should I let my hair grow out again?  _ He wondered. The length he had was already longer than the average male’s, but Korekiyo wears his long hair just fine. He doesn’t look any less masculine with it.  _ Hmmmmmmmm…  _ He puffed his cheeks out as he mulled it over.

“Degenerate! Bar! Now!” Tenko yelled as she shut the door close. Kokichi rolled his eyes as he adjusted his vest, exiting the back room with a flourish, smiling the troublemaker smile the patrons adore, scanning the area around the bar  — _ and immediately closed the door. _

_ WHAT THE FUCK IS HE DOING HERE?! _

When Tenko peered in again, she looked exasperated. But to Kokichi’s relief, Himiko was there beside her, calming her girlfriend down. The laid-back magician always had ways to keep her at bay. “Nyeh… Ouma-kun, what are you doing? We neeeeeeeeed…” she yawned. “… you.”

“Cover for me! Tell Hoshi-chan I need to go!” Kokichi said desperately as he started looking around for something—  _ anything _ — to cover his face with. “I’m leaving by the back door!” Tenko looked  _ appalled.  _ Himiko frowned, but she looked like she was about to fall asleep while standing. Kokichi pushed her away as he slipped out the door, hoping against all hope that  _ he doesn’t fucking spot him.  _ As soon as he was out of the bar, he could finally breathe, but he still pulled out his phone, feeling indignation rise in his gut as he typed furiously.

**_User_ ** _ (12:15 A.M.): AMAMI-CHAN YOU FUCKING TRAITOR _

 

* * *

 

 

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (8:01 A.M.): uh… good morning to you too? _

**_User_ ** _ (8:17 A.M.): WHY WAS MOMOTA FUCKING KAITO HANGING OUT IN THE BAR LAST NIGHT _

**_User_ ** _ (8:17 A.M.): YOU SOLD ME OUT DIDN’T YOU _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (8:18 A.M.): hey, im sorry, but the poor guy just really wanted to see you. Well, he wont admit it so… _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (8:18 A.M.): I kinda just… said in passing that the bartenders I rented in my party work there _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (8:18 A.M.): look, if he visited the bar then that means he’s still very interested in you, its been almost a month _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (8:18 A.M.): you like him don’t you _

**_User_ ** _ (8:20 A.M.): I FUCKING DON’T?!?!   _

**_User_ ** _ (8:20 A.M.): THAT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS?!?! _

**_User_ ** _ (8:21 A.M.): THAT’S IT I’M CUTTING OFF YOUR BALLS D:< _

**_User_ ** _ (8:21 A.M.): I wont forget this betrayal, AMAMI-CHAN _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (8:26 A.M.): youll thank me when ure married _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (8:26 A.M.): I ship it _

**_User_ ** _ (8:26 A.M.): I see you’ve been spending too much time with shiro-chan _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (8:27 A.M.): yea she got me into this weird horse girl anime recently _

**_User_ ** _ (8:27 A.M.): … I’m disowning you. _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (8:28 A.M.): lol btw have you decided yet? _

Kokichi took a deep breath as he stared at the same message again, feeling his heart sink.

**_User_ ** _ (8:30 A.M.): not yet _

 

* * *

 

**_Hoshi-chan_ ** _ (9:16 A.M.): Hey, kid. Chabashira said you left early yesterday, did something happen? _

**_User_ ** _ (9:16 A.M.): sorry hoshi-chan, just deduct it from my wages or something _

**_Hoshi-chan_ ** _ (9:17 A.M.): mkay. Just remember the bar’s open if you need someone to talk to. _

**_Hoshi-chan_ ** _ (9:17 A.M.): take care of yourself, kid _

**_User_ ** _ (9:19 A.M.): Thanks! Hoshi-chan is soooo sweet! :D  _

**_Hoshi-chan_ ** _ (9:19 A.M.): Mm. _

 

* * *

 

**_User_ ** _ (10:20 A.M.): Hey whore come pick me up _

**_User_ ** _ (10:20 A.M.): my place _

**_User_ ** _ (10:20 A.M.): I need a ride _

**_Slut_ ** _ (10:21 A.M.): good lord cuckichi I have fucking class _

**_User_ ** _ (10:21 A.M.): oh yeah sorry  _

**_Slut_ ** _ (10:23 A.M.): … what the fuck _

**_Slut_ ** _ (10:23 A.M.): WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK  _

**_Slut_ ** _ (10:23 A.M.): DID YOU JUST SAY SORRY _

**_Slut_ ** _ (10:24 A.M.): IS THE WORLD ENDING _

**_User_ ** _ (10:25 A.M.): FUCK OFF D:< _

**_Slut_ ** _ (10:25 A.M.): Kay but only if you tell me whats up   _

You are typing…

_ Seen 10:25 A.M. _

You are typing…

**_Slut_ ** _ (10:28 A.M.): I see u typing, little shit. just spit it out _

**_User_ ** _ (10:28 A.M.): I wanna visit Kana-chan. _

**_Slut_ ** _ (10:29 A.M.): oh _

**_Slut_ ** _ (10:30 A.M.): my class ends at 12, better get ready _

**_Slut_ ** _ (10:30 A.M.): and you better buy me lunch because I aint driving 3 hours for free  _

**_User_ ** _ (10:34 A.M.): ok. Thanks _

 

* * *

 

Kokichi was silent.

Miu sighed to herself as she drove inside the cemetery, watching the little shit from the corner of her eye. He looked thoughtful, almost wistful, as he clutched the bouquet of flowers in his lap, cupping his cheek with his palm as he stared out of the window. He was always silent whenever he visits this place, as if he was a completely different person. Miu wasn’t surprised. She easily maneuvered her convertible through the road, stopping when she reached their destination.

Amami Kana’s grave was pretty. It wasn’t really just a grave, it was basically a small chapel. The Amamis clearly spent a fortune with the architecture, marble floors and glass walls and angelic sculptures. There  _ is  _ another grave on the other side of this chapel, but Kokichi never acknowledged it— in fact, he actively avoided it. Miu didn’t understand why, but she never asked. She simply followed Kokichi along as he sat in front of Kana’s marker, setting the flowers down beside his feet.

Kokichi was silent as he stared. Just  _ stared _ . Miu stood behind him, silent. It was times like these that she’s reminded how fucking tiny he was, how vulnerable. She opened her mouth to speak.

“Kokichi—“

“Do you think she resents me?” Kokichi suddenly asked. Miu blinked, uneasily playing with her hair, unsure how to respond.

“I don’t fucking know. We don’t know  _ shit  _ about your sister, Cuckichi.” she replied. “Besides, she’s dead. Didn’t your hypocritical ass told me not to let the dead hold me back? Stop being a quivering pussy, shitty shota.”

Kokichi’s lips twitched. “God, you suck at comforting people.”

Miu huffed as she put her hands on her hips. “Like you’re any better.”

To that Kokichi chuckled as he stood up, brushing the dust off his pants. His strange mood was gone, replaced by a smirk that seemed genuinely teasing. “Buuut~ I suppose even a stupid whore like you can make good points sometimes.”

Miu frowned. “Is this all about the college shit? You don’t have to make things more complicated than it should be, you fucking weirdo.”

Kokichi gnawed at his lip. Finally, he sighed.

“You’re right.”

 

* * *

 

**_User_ ** _ (6:11 P.M.): hey, hoshi-chan _

**_Hoshi-chan_ ** _ (6:17 P.M.): yeah? _

**_User_ ** _ (6:17 P.M.): I think I wanna take less shifts by january _

**_User_ ** _ (6:17 P.M.): is that okay? _

**_Hoshi-chan_ ** _ (6:19 P.M.): sure thing _

**_Hoshi-chan_ ** _ (6:19 P.M.): I’ll put out a notice, see if we can hire new staff to help _

**_Hoshi-chan_ ** _ (6:20 P.M.): everything okay? _

**_User_ ** _ (6:21 P.M.): yeah _

**_User_ ** _ (6:21 P.M.): I’m going to take classes again… I think _

**_Hoshi-chan_ ** _ (6:21 P.M.): good _

 

Kokichi sighed and tossed his phone to the side as he lolled his head on the couch, staring at the ceiling. He was lying upside down, feet pressed against the backrest, and he knew if Kiibo caught him he’ll be scolded again, and the thought made him chuckle. He took the lollipop in his mouth and twirled it a bit, before pulling it out and suddenly yelling out of boredom. “Robots are not people!”

“THAT’S-ROBOPHOBIC!” Miibo  _ shrieked  _ from the center table, stomping its little robotic feet. Kokichi chuckled as he tossed the lollipop on the little robot, which the robot…  _ evaded?  _ Huh, did Kiibo already program other functions to it? Can Kokichi actually  _ talk  _ to it now? A grin spread on his lips as he rolled over and sat up—

The door slammed open. Kokichi jumped. Kiibo  _ never  _ slams open doors. The roboticist looked surprised to see him there, and he sniffled, before wiping the tears out of his eyes with his sleeves. “O-Ouma-kun? I thought you’d be at work…” he said, avoiding his eyes.

“Hoshi-chan gave me the day off…” Kokichi replied, feeling awkward. Kiibo looked visibly upset. “What happened?” he couldn’t help but ask. Kiibo shook his head as he immediately went off to his room. This time he closed the door more gently.

And Kokichi was left… mystified.

 

* * *

 

**_User_ ** _ (10:17 A.M.):Ran-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaan _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (10:18 A.M.): yeahh? _

**_User_ ** _ (10:18 A.M.): I have five conditions _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (10:18 A.M.): uhhh what _

**_User_ ** _ (10:18 A.M.): 1. I’m NOT going back in that house _

**_User_ ** _ (10:19 A.M.): 2. No more funny business with Momota-chan _

**_User_ ** _ (10:19 A.M.): 3. STOP STALKING ME JFC _

**_User_ ** _ (10:19 A.M.): 4. I’ll meet the girls at my own pace _

**_User_ ** _ (10:19 A.M.): 5. I’m paying Amami-san back after I graduate _

**_User_ ** _ (10:20 A.M.): yes fucking screenshot this convo and send it _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (10:21 A.M.): :DDDDDDDDD _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (10:23 A.M.): got it _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (10:24 A.M.): Thank you, Kokichi, this means a lot to me. _

**_User_ ** _ (10:24 A.M.): whatever _

**_User_ ** _ (10:25 A.M.): btw you have any idea what happened to Iidabashi-chan? _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (10:25 A.M.): what? no why _

**_Ran-chan_ ** _ (10:25 A.M.): we were together yesterday, he seemed fine  _

**_User_ ** _ (10:25 A.M.): nvm _

 

Kokichi frowned as he stared at Kiibo’s room. It was Sunday, so he didn’t have any classes, but even then, usually at this time of the day, Kiibo would already be working on his robots, given away by the sound of clicking and creaking. But today, his room was… silent. He leaned in and knocked.

“Iidabashi-chan?” he called out. “You okay there?”

The sound of groaning. A faint mumble. “Leave me alone.”

“I’m going out to buy groceries, anything you need?”

“There’s a shopping list posted on the fridge.” Kiibo replied dismissively. “I think we ran out of milk and peanut butter.”

“Okaaaaay.” Kokichi drawled out, before frowning, mystified. 

_ What the fuck happened? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kokichi having an emotional support system is my kink. XD Fight me.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me, if you want! :D  
> Tumblr (mostly inactive): https://rev-eeriee.tumblr.com/  
> Twitter (18+ account): https://twitter.com/rev_eeriee
> 
> If you guys want to chat or see what I might be up to, go check it out. :3


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